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SCIENCE CENTER LIBRARY 



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HAND-BOOK OF WINES. 



HAND-BOOK 



OT 



WINES, 



PRACTICAL, THEOBEnCAl, ASD HISTOBICAl ; 



WnR A DBBOBIFTION Of 



FOREIGN SPIRITS AND LIQUEURS. 



BY 

THOMAS MCMULLEN. 



KaowMgt it indiMd MBMMMry m light, and In thii wauug ag* most Cairly pniniMt to b« •■ 
y^qifiMm M water, and aa flraa aa air. Bnt aa it haa bean wiaely ordaiiMd tbat light thould hara ao 
aolor, vater no taato, and air no odor, ao knowledge alw ahonld be eqoally pore, and without ad- 
mixtoia. If itaomea to aa throogh tha madfaun of prejodlae, it will be diaeolorad; thiovgh the 
"'^fmt'r of oaatom, it will be adoltanted ; thnmgh the Qothle walU el the college or of the 
eloiater, it will amell of the lamp.'-OoLToir. 






t 

NEW-YORK: 
D. APPLETON AND COMPANY, 

200 BBOADWAY. 

M.DCCC.LII. 



CWt^'^I^/^.^^. 






/ 






^^^^^ A% /ffv . 



Enterad, according to Act of CongTMi, in the yeu 1862| bj ' 
THOMAS MoBCULLEN, 
in the Clerk's Office of the District Court for the Southern Distzici of New-York. 



PREFACE. 

The publication of this yolume originated in the 
numerous inquiries made for authentic information 
upon the subject of Wines. In the preparation of 
the work all extraneous matter and useless details 
have been excluded ; condensation is studied with- 
out omitting what is most useful and interesting ; 
the materials are derived from a long practical <3x- 
' perience, and from the most valuable sources of 
information. 

From the extensive nomenclature of wines, it has 
been deemed desirable to treat of such only as are 
known in commerce and consumption. To describe 
every variety, therefore, would be foreign to the 
purpose ; and even if it were accomplished, it would 
doubtless prove uninteresting to the majority of 
readers. 

The authorities consulted comprise all worthy 
of note, including Henderson, Bedding, Jullien, 
McCuUoch, Ure, Brande, Morewood, Pereira, the 
A* 



VI PREFACE* 

enumeration of which will obviate the necessitj of 
interrupting the narrative and incumbering the 
work with notes. 

A glance at the Table of Contents will prepare 
the reader for the variety of the volume, and an 
Index of the several Wines treated of will enable 
him to refer to any particular kind. 

A supplement is added, containing a list of all 
the known Wines, Spirits, and Liquors, and the 
countries in which they are produced. 

T. M. 

New-Yobk, Feb. 9th, 1862. v 



CONTENTS. 



PA«»R 

CHAPTES I.— 0» THB Van. 

Begions of ocdtnre — Climate — ^Latitude and elevation — Countries 
in which moat productive — Caoaea that inflnenoe difference in 
quality— Primitive aeat— Natnral and artificial diatribution — 
deaoription of the plant— Superiority and distinction above 
all others — ^Introduction into Europe — Soils and aitea most 
favorable — ^Innumerable varieties — ^Modea of training, prun- 
ing, and ooltore— Longevity— Fruitfolneaa—TTseftihieBs—Su- 
perstitiouB applications. . .^ 1 

CHAPTER n.— Or thb Gbafi. 

Erroneous opinions of its properties— Size — ^Flavor derived from 
the soil— Qualities determined by varietiea of the plant, soil, 
and situation — ^Flavor produced by degrees of pressure — ^Ex- 
traordinsjy size— Dietetic and restorative properties 11 

CHAPTEB m.— Of the VniTAofc. 

The first wine grower — Abundance of the Eastern vineyards — 
The vitttage an ancient jubilee— Vintage at Xerez — ^Period for 
gathering the grape — ^Vintage operations in France, Italy, 
Spain, and Portugal — ^Modes of pressing the grapes and fer^ 
mentation — ^Wlne made without pressing — Must, its value 
and use— Murk, its uaeftd purposes and medicinal propertiea 17 



^ 



vni CONTENTS. 

FACE 

CHAPTER IV.— Of FEBiiWTATioir. 

PrimaFy OBUse unknown — Temperature — Principle — Prooess — 
Time required— Color— Essential ingredients — Secondary fer- 
mentation — ^Precipitation and invisible fermentation 26 

CHAPTEB v.— 0» WmE. 

DifTerent from other fermented beverages— Caofles of the eztrdme 
variety in species and quality — Modes of obtaining differont 
kinds— Color derived fW>m the skin of the grape — ^Division 
of red and white — Still — ^Dry — Sparkling— Sweet— Strong — 
Weak — ^Three kinds made from one species of grape 30 

CHAPTER VI.— Of Wnra. 

Prindples which originate the bouquet and aroma— Difficulty of 
distinguishing qualities — Definition of the properties — Flavor 
of new and mature wines — Odor and flavor chiefly referable 
to the soil — Causes of erroneous descriptions — ^Ingredients of 
wine — Classic delineation of perfect wine — Properties which 
constitute differences — Comparison of red and white wines — 
Durability of fine wine and how distinguished from ordinaiy 87 

CHAPTER Vn.— Of the Wnras of F^axce, 

Introduction of the vine — France the vineyard of the earth — ^The 
superiority of her wines above all others — ^Their variety 
and durability — Wine cultivation one of her most important 

branches of industry Wines of the Qironde — Claret and 

its various growths — Grave wines — Grand summary of the 
wines of the Girondo— Champagne— Still — Creaming— High 
sparkling — Classic description of creaming Champagne — Gen- 
eral observations on Champagne — Manufacture — ^Burgundy 
and its various growths — Controveny as to the comparative 
merits of Champagne and Bui^ndy— Hermitage — C6te Rotie 
— Ronsillon— Rivesaltes— Frontignac— Vin de Paille— St. P4- 
rai— Yin de Garde 46 

CHAPTER Vin.— Of the Wmxs o» Spain. 

The climate and position of Spain render its natural advantages 
unparalleled — Non-application of sdence to the manufacture of 



CONTENTS. ix 



9A9M 



wine prevents her being the lint wine country in the world— 
Sherry or Xere^— Amontillado — ^Vino de Posto — ^Manzanilla— 
Oloroso— Sack—Paxarettfr— Pedro Ximenee — Lagrima de Ma- 
lago— Tent— ValdePenaa— Beni Carlos— Majorca and Minorca 79 

CHAPTEB IX.— Or thx Winb ot MAPicmA. '^ 

Introdnction of the vine — ^Madeira wine diatingniBhed for its ex- 
traordinary durability and superiority — ^Malmsey — Seroial — 
Bual— T^to— Tintft— Verdeilho 90 

CHAPTEB X.— Ot ths Wimbs ot Pobtdgal. 

Introduction of Port wines into England — ^Beginning of adultera- 
tion — ^Boyal wine company and its operations — Alto Douro— 
Mode of manu&cture — Oporto — ^Description of good Port — 
Colares — ^Barra-fr-Barra—Bucellas—Termo—Arinto— Lisbon— 
St. Ubes Malmsey— Carcavellos 98 

CHAPTER XI.— Or thx Wuoes ot GmucAirr. 

Epoch of the vine in Germany— Latitude of cultivation — ^Locality 
of the best vineyards — ^Mode of manufkpture — Capacious wine 
vessels — Preservation and improvement of the wines — Gene- 
ral qualities — Abi;ence of alcohol — Celebrated vintages — Jo- 
hanni^berger — Steinberger — Btidesheimer — Hockheimer — 
Moselle — ^Unrivalled durability — Wholesomeness .' 104 

CHAPTEB Xn.— Ot thx Winxs or thx CAXAsnm. 

Introduction of the vine— Howell's desciiption of Canary— Vido- 
nifr— Malvasia— Sack— Teneriffe 114 

CHAPTER Xni.— Or thx Wimis or Italy. 

The natural capabilities of the country grossly neglected- Wine 
growers more intent on quantity than quality — ^The manuiao- 
ture of wines conducted in a slovenly, careless manner — 
Wines of Asti — ^Lacryma Christi 116 

CHAPTER XIV.— Or thx Wnoa or Sxoilt. 

Great ignorance and neglect displayed in the cultivation of the 
vine, and in the manufkoture of wine— Sicily Madeira—SynH 
cuB«— Messinar— Val di Maxaia , 1S8 



_f 



X CONTENTS. 

CHAPTEH XV.— Or tbs Wnrai or Hungabt. 

Early introdaction of the vine — Qoalitj of wines superior — Quan- 
tity oondderable — ^Tokay— Tokay Ausbruch — ^Tokay Maslas — J^ 
Mode of manufacture— Extravagant prices— Belative and in- 
trinsic quality and value 124 

CHAPTEB XVI.— Of the Wdtis of Gbeeoe. 

Climate and soil highly propitious — System of manufacture bad- 
Cyprus — Commandaria, its fabulous restorative properties — \ 
Great durability- Wines of the smaller Greek islands 181 

CHAPTER XVn.— Of thb Wikeb of Pxbsxa. 

Persia the native oountry of the vine— Secret and excessive indul- 
gence of the Turks and Mohammedans — ^Varieties made at > 
Shiraz— Great similarity to Madeira 186 

CHAPTEB XVIII.— Of the Wmm of the Cape of Good 

Hope. 

Their inferior qnalitieB— Conatantia and Cape Hock exceptions. . . 189 "^ 

CHAPTEB XIX.— Mdobllanibb. 

Vinum Theologicum— Vino Santo— Pure Juice— Vinde Liqueur— 

Vin Fou— Frozen wine— ^Dibs — Covering wines — ^Boiled wines *^ 

—Terms 141 

CHAPTEB XX.— Of the CoNSEBVAnoN of Wines. 

Amelioration- Age and maturity— Keeping of wines— Wine cellar 
—Fungi 150 

CHAPTEB XXL— Of the Mixdto of Winbj. 

Description and qualities sought for in good wines — ^The difUculty 
of procuring perfect wine, especially Port-^The wines of 
France among the purest— Sweet wines easy of imitation- 
High color— Artificial flavors and sophistications — Origin of 
the practice, and necessity for its disoontinuanoe 161 



CONTENTS. XI 



CHAPTER XXn.— 0» th« Adulteration o» Wiotb. 

Temptation and facility for the practice of firand— Brandy and 
sweetneas the g^nd agents — ^Mode of discovering counterfeit 
wines — Spnrions Champagne — ^Port — ^Foreign imitations 168 

CHAPTEB XXIII.— Or the Finino and Bottlino of Wmw. 

Principle of fining — ^Bussian isinglass and whites of eggs — ^Effects 
and design — Mode of operation — ^To test the brilliancy of wine 
—Period for bottling— Security against pricked wines 174 

CHAPTER XXIV.— 0» the PuBOHAsiNa o» Wnnss. 

Difficulty of choosing— Pretension in taste— ^Merit of some wines 
founded on fashion and caprice — ^The best means of procuring 
good wine — ^Perfect taste a rare gift— Wine should be chosen 
for intrinsic merit, not for name, brand, vintage, age, nor 
cheapness — Security against being imposed upon 179 

CHAPTER XXV.— Of the Pbopebtibb, Uses, and Evraors 

OF WiNIS. 

Oenanthicetheiv-Sugai>— Alcohol— Acid— Tartrates— Colo]^— Bou- 
quet — ^Aroma — Use and abuse — President Jefferson — Doctor 
Sigmond — ^Doctor Adam Clarke— The Romans — ^Effects of 
wine dependent upon quality, quantity, and the necessity 
existing for its use — ^Indigestibility induced by mingling sev- 
eral sorts — Singular effect of some wines— Effects of wine used 
in moderation 184 

CHAPTER XXVI.— Of the Dietbtio and Medical Quau- 

TIBS OF WiNBB. 

The mission of Bacchus— Deplorable effects of the abuse of wine 
— Influence on national diaracter— Partiality of the Muses to 
its temperate use — ^Danger of yielding to its fascination — ^De- 
lightful poison — General medical effects described — Particular 
effects of Claret, Champagne, Burgundy, Port, Claret, Sherry, 
Madeira, Vins de Liqueur, Hock 199 

CHAPTER XXVn.— Of the Abt of Dbinkinq Wine. 

Intemperance not induced by pure wine — ^The abuse, not the use 
of wine condemned— Art of drinking wine— Mode practised 



XU CONTKNTa 



PA«B 



bj different natioDB— Wines at pnblio and private entertain- 
ments — ^The French mode usually adopted — ^Wine glasses and 
cups — ^The object of taking wine — ^The true enjoyer — ^Thc 
abuser of it— Moderation the only safety 216 

CHAPTEE XXVni.— MisoEiiAiaKs. 

Icing wine — Coffee after wine — ^Bumper glass — ^Wassail bowl — 
Pledging and drinking healths — Hip I Hip 1 Hurrah 1 226 

CHAPTEE XXIX.— Wine Pboyzebs and Sayings 281 

CHAPTER XXX.— Of the Wines of the Ancients. 

Description of the most celebrated— Maturing— Designation of 
vintagesr— Purchasing — ^Wine vessels — Wine cujw — Modes of 
drinking — ^Banquets — ^Dinner arraugements — Libations to tho 
gods — Chaplets and garlands — Pledging and drinking healths 
— ^Buler of the feast — Order in using wines — similarity in an- 
cient and modem convivial customs 287 

Aloohouo Stbbnqth of Wines 261 

Index of Wines 268 

Ldt of all the known Wines and the Countbees in whioh 
Pboduged 265 

FoBEioN Spnam 299 

LiQUEUBS. — Introduction and invention — ^Absynthe — ^Alkermes — 
Anisette — Cura^oa — ^Eirsohenwasser — Maraschino de Zara — 
Noyeau— Batafia 818 

Xjst of all the known Alcoholio Liquobs and OHE CoUNTinES 
nr WHICH Pboduoed 821 



HAND-BOOK OF WINES. 



4 > » 



CHAPTER L 

OF THE V INB. 

RB6I0HS OF CX7LTUBE — CLOLLTE — ^LATITUDE AHD ELETATIOR — 
OOUHTRIBS IN WBICa MOST FRODUCTiyS — CAITSES THAT Di- 
FLX7ENCB DIFFERENCE IN QUALITT — FRUiflTiyE SEAT — NATU- 
RAL AND ARTIFICIAL DI8TRIBI7TION — DESCRIPTION OF THE 
PLANT — ^SUPERIORITT AND DISTINCTION ABOVE ALL OTHBRS 
— ^INTBODUCTION INTO E17K0FB — SOILS AND SITES MOST 
FAVORABLE — ^INNTTMERABLE VARIETIES — ^MODES OF TRAINING, 
PRUNING AND CULTURE — LQN6BVITT — FBTHTFULNESS — USE- 
FULNESS^SUFERSTITIOUS APPLICATIONS. 

Thb regions of culture for the vine do not lie parallel 
to the equator, but in an oblique direction from north- 
east to southwest, from about 86^ to 62^ north lati- 
tudes In the inland parts of France and Germany, 
the utmost limits of it are about 49^ or 60^, but the 
further north the produce is the more inferior. 

It is thought that the climate most congenial to 
the culture of the vine extends from the 86th to the 
50th degree of north latitude; and it is between 
1 



2 THE VINE. 

these points that the most celebrated vineyards, and 
the countries richest in wines are placed. 

In some places, as the Crimea and the southern 
parts of Eussia, it does not exceed 47^ or 48° of lati- 
tude. In Asia the vine does not flourish in a higher 
latitude, since none are to be found to grow more 
northerly than Astracan and the foot of Mount Cau- 
casus. In the new world, the southern States are 
the most congenial to the vine, and the northern 
seem unfriendly to its culture. It is true that the 
vine is found considerably to the north of this con- 
tinent ; but it is stunted and impoverished in growth 
in proportion to its distance from a certain latitude, 
generally that of 37°. 

The vine appears to occupy two belts on the 
earth's surface, both of which lie in the warmer re- 
gions of the temperate zones, seldom exceeding 51° 
in the northern,. and rarely approaching 40° in the 
southern hemisphere, and is chiefly confined to an 
elevation of 2,460 feet above the level of the sea. In 
Switzerland this elevation is limited to 1,760 feet ; 
in Hungary to 900 feet ; on the Alps to 2,000 feet ; 
in Teneriffe to 2,500 feet; but in the Apennines 
and Sicily the extent is 3,000, while it does not 
grow at all in the high lands of tropical America ; 
yet according to Jacquemont, in his journey to 
India, the vine prospers at the height of 10,000 feet 
above the level of the sea ; but much of this diver- 
sity depends on ordinary circumstances. It seems, 
however, that the produce of the vine attains a 
maximum in the south of Europe and the western 



THB YINB. 8 

parts of Asia. This, perhaps, may be owing, not so 
much to climate, as to the superior state of cultiva- 
tion bestowed upon it The higher the latitude, the 
more inclined to acidity is the grape; hence the 
difference between the Ehenish, Sicilian, and Gre- 
cian wines. The strength is also influenced by the 
proximity to the equator, for which reason, Madeira 
wine is stronger than that of northern latitudes. 

Considering these relations to be correct, it is 
evident that it is not altogether on temperature or 
climate, but to other causes, the success in the culti- 
vation of the vine, as regards both quality and 
quantity, must be attributed. If the growth of the 
vine depended upon temperature, then the vicinity 
of London would afford better vineyards than that 
of Zurich or Geneva : the summer heat of Moscow 
is higher than that of Paris, yet grapes in the former 
ripen only under glasses. In Madeira and the Canary 
Islands, the mean temperature is not much lower 
than in Algiers and Cairo ; yet the culture of the 
vine is very considerable in these islands, whereas 
in Algiers the temperature already is too high, and 
in Cairo, the vine is planted only for the sake of its 
shade. 

The vine frequently occurs wild in the Caucasus 
and the islands of the Levant, and though every 
thing combines to point out these and the western 
portions of Asia as its original home, yet to deter- 
mine its primitive seat is still more difficult than its 
artificial distribution. That it came from the East 
there is no reason to doubt, yet the name of him 



4 THE VINE. 

who first cultivated it from the wild plant is lost in 
the oblivion of past time, unless the mention of 
Noah in holy writ may be supposed to fix the name 
of the discoverer, prior to the Pionysius of the Greeks, 
or the Bala Bama of the Hindoos. Alexander the 
Great found the wild vine on the banks of the Hy das- 
pes. The mountains of Ferdistan, in Persia, it is very 
probable, supplied the vines which were first amelio- 
rated by man ; the wine of Sbiraz is still made of vines 
grown upon these hills. The wild creeper with its 
harsh fi:uit is general in the East. In America up- 
wards of seventy kinds of wild vine are known. From 
Egypt, Palestine, or Asia Minor, into the Greek 
islands, the transition of the vine was natural, as well 
as from the islands to the mainland of Greece, and 
then along the shores of the Mediterranean to the 
Straits of Hercules. Vines were cultivated in France 
before the time of the Osesars ; first, it is believed, at 
Marseilles. They were found both there and at Nar- 
bonne, when Julius Caesar conquered Gaul. The 
grape which gives the rich wines of Frontignan, 
Lunel and Bivesaltes, is traditionally asserted to have 
been imported into that country from the East, as 
late as the twelfth century, during the crusades, out 
of Palestine or the island of Cyprus. The vine was 
introduced into Germany later; the first vineyards 
being on the Bhine, in a cleared portion of the 
Black Forest 

The vine is a variable plant; the leaves more or 
less lobed, smooth, pubescent or downy; flat or 
crisp ; pale or deep green ; the branches prostrate, 



THE VINE. O 

climbing, or erect, tender or hard; the bunches 
loose or compact, ovate or cylindrical ; the berries 
red, yellow or purple, watery or fleshy, globose, 
ovate or oblong ; sweet, musky or austere ; seeded 
or seedless. It is universally admitted to be the 
most fruitful and valuable of all plants ; among the 
Orientals it is preferred to every other, not only on 
account of its fruit, but the delightful arbour which it 
forms during the heat of the day ; the Jews con- 
sidered it the most noble of plants, for which reason 
it is frequently used by the prophets to represent the 
Jewish nation ; but the greatest honor that has ever 
been put upon this tree was when our Saviour de- 
clared, "I am the true. Vine." 

Although the vine does not show a preference for 
any particular soil, yet limits for its cultivation seem 
to have been prescribed by nature which no ingenu- 
ity of man can surmount. A stony or gravelly soil is 
best adapted for the successful cultivation of the vine, 
as it allows the roots to penetrate freely in all direc- 
tions, while a sufficient degree of moisture reaches 
them, and they are protected from the scorching in- 
fluence of the sun by the stratum of pebbles or 
debris which forms the surface, and which, in the 
colder climates, may be useful in reflecting the heat 
toward the branches and fruit of the plant. Volcanic 
soils are eminently adapted for the growth of the 
vine, and all wines produced from these soils, are in 
most respects superior in body and flavor to those 
grown upon any other. The best wines of Italy are 
produced in the neighborhood of Vesuvius; the 



6 THE VINE. 

fiunons Tokay wine is also made in a volcanic dis- 
trict ; Madeira, and some of the richest wines of the 
south of France are derived from such soils ; Her- 
mitage is grown among the debris of granite rocks, 
so is also Yal de Penas, a celebrated Spanish wine, 
alleged to be one of ihe finest red wines in the 
world. However, thexhief consideration is to find a 
soil sufficiently porous, and, at the same time, re- 
taining but little moisture; and for this purpose, 
almost eveiy combination of earths and rocks will 
answer. 

The most &vorable situation for a vineyard is 
upon a rising ground or hill, facing the southeast, 
sheltered from the cold winds and frosts, and the 
situation should not be too confined — 



<( 



apertos, 



Bacchas amat colles." 
Bacchus loves the sunny hills. 

Although a south-eastern aspect is esteemed 
the best position for a vineyard, yet this rule is not 
without exceptions, for some of the best wines of 
Champagne are grown in a northern aspect; and 
several of the finest vineyards of Burgundy lie 
towards the east; but in such cases, we may fairly 
presume that these apparent disadvantages of situa- 
tion are counterbalanced by favorable peculiarities 
of the soil, or other unknown circumstances. 

The varieties of the vine are very numerous. 
Chaptal, when Minister of the Interior, collected in 



THE VINE. 

the nursery of the Luxembourg upwards of four- 
teen hundred sorts, £rom the different provinces of 
France, of which, about one thousand appear worthy 
of a particular description ; and Don Simon Boxas 
Clements, to whom we are indebted for the most 
scientific work on the subject, enumerates about 
two hundred and fifty varieties, as cultivated in the 
kingdom of Andalusia alone. 

In the Gironde seven varieties are grown for 
white wines alone. The pineau and its varieties 
afford the wines of Burgundy and Champagne. 
There are eighteen varieties of this plant. Her- 
mitage is now produced from the Scyras, or Shiraz 
grape, • supposed to have been originally Persian, 
the grape of Shiraz being the finest in the world 
The Cdte Botie comes from the serine. 

In Madeira there are many varieties of the vine, 
the Yerdeilho seems to recall the French verdot They 
have also a species called iinto, from the Spanish 
tintilla, and Sercial, from the Hock grape. The 
grape of Candia was planted there &om the East. 

A French grape from near Orleans produces, on 
the Bhine, the best German wines. 

The modes of planting, of training, and of prop- 
ping the vine, which vary in different countries, and, 
above all, the methods of pruning it, have a great 
effect on its produce. The fruit of high vines never 
ripens so well as that of such as are trained low, 
which receive the benefit of the reflected as well as 
the direct solar rays, and of the warm exhalations 
that ascend from the earth. In those districts where 



8 THE VINE. 

the culture of the plant is best understood, it is sel- 
dom allowed to rise higher than two or three feet : 
at Tokay, it is cut and formed into a pollard, at a 
span from the ground ; and in general it may be es- 
tablished as a maxim, that the nearer its branches 
are to the soil, provided they do not come in contact 
with it, the better will be the fruit produced. Where 
it is permitted to grow without check, it will ascend 
to the top of the highest trees, and distribute its 
shoots in all directions, but the grapes which it bears 
will become proportionally bad, and the wine pre- 
pared from them will be hard and austere ; for the 
greater the quantity of fruit, the worse the quality 
will prove. Even in the southern provinces of 
France, when the vine is allowed to exceed two 
metres in height, it gives a wine of little value or 
durability. 

There are few plants more likely to deteriorate 
by neglect or mismanagement than the vine. A 
single year of slovenly culture, an injudicious mode 
of pruning, or the substitution of new plants for 
old, may ruin the reputation of a vineyard for 
ever. 

The age to which the vine bears well is from 
sixty to seventy years, or more ; and in the common 
course of things, it is six or seven years before it is 
in full bearing. In part of the Gironde, the vine 
does not bear well beyond forty years. In others on a 
sandy or stony soil, it will live and bear well to one 
hundred and fifty or more. Bosc says a vine in Bur- 
gundy had reached four hundred years, and in some 



THE VINE. 9 

Italian vineyards plants three centuries old still 
flonrisli and bear. The ancients gave the vine 
a longevity of six hundred years. 

The fruitfulness of the vine is almost fabulous. 
In Spain, vines have been seen to bear upwards of 
two thousand bunches of grapes ; the vine in the 
garden of Hampton Court Palace, in England, bore, 
one year, 2,500 bunches, and at Hanover, in Penn- 
sylvania, a vine, in the year 1840, bore four thou- 
sand bunches. 

There is no part of the vine which is not adapted 
for some useful purpose. In Switzerland, the leaves 
of the vine are applied to medicinal or surgical uses. 
In cuts and green wounds they are esteemed a sove- 
reign remedy. Decoctions of the juice of the leaves 
are used in poultices with great advantage. The 
leaves afiford an agreeable tea, requiring more sugar 
than that of China ; and it is said greatly strengthens 
the nerves. The prunings well bruised and pressed, 
yield excellent vinegar. The leaves and tendrils 
bruised, and the juice fermented, give a pleasant 
light drink of a vinous character. The leaves are 
also excellent food for cows, sheep, and hogs, when 
other food is scarce ; but they are of so much more 
importance in the vineyard, that they are rarely 
spared for the purpose. In such cases they must 
not be taken until they begin to fall offi They are 
then gathered, put in a dry place, and sometimes 
salted, pressed, and left to ferment. In some places 
they are stratified with straw, and then afford still 
more excellent fodder. Animals are sometimes 



10 THE VINE. 

turned into the vineyards, after the vintage, to 
browse upon the leaves. Vine branches furnish 
potash and salt when burned ; basket work is fabri- 
cated from them ; and the bark is used for bands to 
tie the vines to the props., 

The ink for printing the notes of the Bank of 
England is made from the calcined leaves and seeds 
of grapes, and forms one of the finest and darkest 
imprints that can be found. 

That a plant so useful has its superstitious appli- 
cations, need be matter of no surprise. Kot only 
do the leaves decorate the hair of the village girls, 
in some of the southern vine countries, but the 
mode of plucking them under certain spells, is 
thought to discover to the vintage lasses the truth 
or &lsehood of their lovers. 



CHAPTER 11. 

OF THE GRAPE. 

ERBOMBOUS OFIHIOlfS OF ITS FBOPEBTIES — SIZE — FLAVOR DERIVED 
FROM THE SOIL — QUALITIES DETERMINED BY VARIETIES OF 
THE PLANT, SOIL AND SITUATION — FLAVOR PRODUCED BY 
DEGREES OF PRESSURE — EXTRAORDINARY SIZE — DIETETIC 
AND RESTORATIVE PROPERTIES. 

The grape is considered one of the most delicious, 
valuable, and esteemed fruits. Its origin and use 
liave been coeval with creation. Milton seems to 
have entertained the opinion that it was the fruit of 
which our first parents had eaten, when he says, 

" Soon as the force of that fallacioas fruit, 
That with exliilaratiDg vapor bland 
About their spirits had played, and inmost powers 
Made err, was now exhaled." 

The ancient Babbins held similar views f'the vine 
being considered by them as the tree so strictly pro- 
hibited by the Almighty. Doctor Lightfoot and 
other theologians were of the same belief; but these 
statements are deserving of little consideration, it 
being well known that the juice of the grape has 



12 THE GRAPE. 

no inebriating quality, and tbat to produce intoxi- 
cation, it must undergo fermentation. 

The grape differs in size, flavor, and color ; some- 
times it is globular or oval in form; sometimes large 
and sweet in taste, while there are varieties almost 
as small as a pea, of a harsh, crabbed, disagreeable 
flavor ; the color also differs very much, from a rich 
violet to a jet black, or a white, green, or golden 
hue; the color is wholly in the skin, the pulp of 
every kind of grape, save one variety, having the 
same internal hue. The general qualities of the 
fruit are the same in all countries ; they only vary 
in degree as the action of the sun in a genial climate 
matures more or less those virtues upon which the 
excellence of the juice depends. The flavor of the 
grape is influenced to a great degree by the soil on 
which the vine grows, and from which it derives its 
nurture; and it need scarcely be remarked that upon 
its perfection depends the goodness of the wine. 
The different qualities are always determined by the 
species or variety of the vine which produces it ; of 
some kinds the fruit is naturally hard or rough ; of 
others it is sweet and mild : some varieties contain 
much saccharine matter ; in others the mucilaginous 
extractive principle abounds. Nor can these dis- 
tinctions be, in all cases, ascertained by the taste; 
for two giapes may appear almost equally sweet, and 
yet on examination present very different constitu- 
ents. Thus the ripe mitscadine grape of Fuencaral 
was found by Proust to yield 30 per cent, of solid 
sugar, and the wine which is made from it is always 



THE GRAFS. IS 

very sweet and generous ; but the chasselas of Fon- 
tainbleau, though an exquisite grape to the palate, 
aiFords very little sugar, and the wine which it fur- 
nishes is dry and indifferent ; for its sweetness pro- 
ceeds not so much from the proper sugar of the 
grape, as from the superabundance of the mucoso- 
saccharine matter. 

Of all the fruits, the grape is perhaps the most 
susceptible of alteration in its nature, from the qual- 
ities of the soil where it grows : and the immense 
variety of vines ought probably to be referred to 
the operation of this cause, rather than to original 
differences in the species, or to the mode of culture 
to which they are subjected. In general, as has 
been before observed, the lighter and more porous 
soils are best suited to the vine; for although 
the plant will shoot up with great vigor, and yield 
an abundant crop of grapes, in rich and moist 
ground, yet the excellence of the fruit is commonly 
in the inverse ratio of the luxuriance of the growth. 

It may be almost superfluous to remark, that the 
characters of the grape must vary according to the 
nature of the seasons. In a cold year it will not 
attain its proper maturity, and will be deficient in 
flavor and saccharine matter. Hence the wine which 
it furnishes will be weak and harsh, and liable to 
ropiness and acescency. When the season is rainy 
the produce will be increased ; but it will be poor 
and insipid, and will generally be found to contain 
a large portion of malic acid, which gives to it a pe- 
culiar flavor, always most perceptible in those wines 



14 THE GBAPE. 

that are most devoid of spirit A moderate degree 
of humidity, however, is essential to the welfare of 
the vine. 

In northerly situations, the grape seldom ac- 
quires a due maturity ; and the wines that are occa- 
sionally made from it, are weak, acescent, and desti- 
tute of the generous flavor which distinguishes those 
produced in more favored regions. In warmer cli- 
mates, on the other hand, the saccharine matter pre- 
dominates, and becomes too concentrated to expe- 
rience a complete decomposition. When the vine 
is transplanted from a southern to a northern lati- 
tude, the quality of its fruit soon becomes impaired; 
but it improves when carried from a cold to a warm 
climate. The chassdas of Fontainbleau is believed 
to be the progeny of the Cyprus grape, with which 
Francis I. planted his vineyards of Fontainbleau 
and Couci ; and one of the richest Malaga wines is 
furnished by a grape that is said to have originally 
come from the banks of the Rhine. 

When a grape is gently squeezed, the sweetest 
portion of the pulp will be found to be the first 
which protrudes ; and it is only by increased and 
continued pressure, that the extractive and more 
acid contents of the central vesicles and cortical 
substance will be forced out. This explains the 
reason why the juice which is obtained previously 
to the treading of the grapes, undergoes little or no 
fermentation ; and further demonstrates the neces- 
sity of a full and thorough pressure of the vintage, 
in order to effect that due admixture of the saccha- 



THE GRAPE. 15 

rine and extractive principles which is essential to 
perfect fermentation. 

The size to which the grape attains appears in- 
credible. Schulz states that near Acre, in Palestine, 
he saw bunches of grapes that weighed from ten to 
twelve pounds. At Damascus are found bunches 
that weigh from twenty to thirty pounds ; and Ma- 
ritia relates that in Syria he has seen grapes of such 
extraordinary size, that a bunch of them would be 
a sufficient load for one man. At Welbeck, in Eng- 
land, a Mr. Speechley grew a species called Syrian, 
a bunch of which weighed nineteen and one half 
pounds, and measured twenty-one inches in length 
and four and one half feet in circumference. The 
size of the grape is no criterion of excellence, the 
larger description generally being inferior in flavor 
to the smaller, and not adapted for wine making. 

Grapes when fully ripe and of good quality, are 
among the most refreshing and healthful of fruits ; 
they are generally laxative, and in a large quantity 
somewhat diuretic. In Syria the inspissated juice 
of ripe grapes is used in febrile and inflammatory 
complaints. They have been recommended as an 
article of diet in phthisis, and are particularly 
wholesome and restorative when eaten with the 
morning dew- upon them ; hence in many wine 
countries they are regularly served up at breakfast, 
not only as a zest but as a luxury. At Vevay, in 
Switzerland, the physicians of Geneva order patients 
to subsist, during the vintage, altogether on a grape 
diet, the period of which is usually three weeks ; 



16 THE GBAPE. 

this regimen is termed " Cure de Baisins." The com- 
mon daily allowance is seven pounds of grapes 
without taking any other sort of sustenance, not 
even a drink of any description. Numerous instan- 
ces are on record of persons suffering from consump- 
tion and other diseases, haying been perfectly re- 
stored ; and in cases of insanity, the same regimen 
is said to be very efficacious in restoring the patient 
to a sound state of mind. The renovating power 
of the grape must therefore be a matter worthy of 
investigation and research by the medical faculty. 

During the year 1860 a grape diet was prescribed 
by the medical advisers of the Empress of Russia 
for the recovery of her health. 



CHAPTER m. 

OF THE VINTAOB. 

■ 

THE FIRST WINE GROWER — ^ABXHIDAHCE OF THE E^BTERH VIRX- 
TARD9 — ^THE VDITAGE AN ANCIENT JUBILEE — ^VHTTAOB AT 
XEREZ — ^PERIOD FOR GATHERING THE GRAPE — ^VINTAGE OPER- 
ATIONS IN FRANCE, ITALY, SPAIN AND PORTUGAL — RHODES OF 
PRESSING THE GRAPES AND FERMENTATION — WINE HADB 
WITHOUT PRESSING — MUST, ITS yIlUE AND USB — MURK, ITS 
USEFUL PURPOSES AND MEDICINAL PROPERTIES. 

The art of expressing and fermenting the juice of 
the g^pe appears to have been practised from the 
remotest antiquity. The sacred writings tell us that 
Koah planted a vineyard soon after the deluge {Oen. 
ix. 20), and a modern Latin poet ingeniously repre- 
sents the vine as a gift from Heaven, to console 
mankind for the miseries entailed upon them by that 
grand catastrophe I 

" Omnia yastatis ergo qnnm cerneret arris 
Desolata Deus, nobis felicia Tin! 
Dona dedit ; tristes hominnm quo mnnere foYi1^ 
Beliquias mundi solntua yite minam." 

Pr<itdivm RusUcum, Ub/zi. 

When Grod looked down tmrn hearen's high throne 
On all the earth in rain ]aid» 
2 



18 THE YINTAGS. 

No fields with Bmilixm: plenty strewn 

No verdant hill, no fertile glade, 
Lo ! Man, God's brightest work was sad, 

No son was given on him to shine ; 
Bnt with one gift God made man glad, 

Repairing ruin with the vine. 

In following the course of Scripture narrative it 
appears that as the descendants of Noah increased, the 
vine, as supplying the means of a more comfortable 
subsistence, was cultivated to a considerable extent. 
Palestine early abounded in excellent vineyards; 
so great was their number that, of the simple inherit- 
ance belonging to the tribe of Judah alone (in order 
to denote the superabundant produce), it was meta- 
phorically said, that he washed his garments in wine, 
and his clothes i;Q the blood of the grape ; and it is fur- 
ther added that the land of Canaan was abundant in 
wine and vineyards. 

In all wine countries the general vintage or grape 
harvest takes place during the months of September 
and October, and is usually a period of great rejoi- 
cing and festivity. The vineyard then presents a 
lively and animated scene, all are busily employed ; 

" Some to unload the fertile branches run, 
Some dry the blackening clusters in the snn, 
Others to tread the liquid harvest join ; 
The groaning presses foam with floods of wine/' 

The vintage is immemorially an ancient jubilee, of 
which, when, as is rarely the case, there is no joyous 
celebration, the toil of the laborer becomes doubly 



THE VINTAGE. 19 

onerous, the bosoms usually cheerful are oppressed, 
and the gripe of poverty clutches its toil-worn victims 
with redoubled violence. 

" At Xerez in Spain it is the all-absorbing, all-en> 
grossing moment of the year; it commences about 
the 20th September and occupies about a fortnight ; 
' into these brief moments the hearts, bodies, and souls 
of men are condensed ; ^ven Yenus, the queen of 
neighboring Cadiz, and who, during the other three 
hundred and fifty-one days of the year, allies herself 
willingly to Bacchus, is now forgotten. Nobles and 
commoners, merchants and priests, talk of nothing but 
wine, which then and there monopolizes man, and is 
to Xerez what the water is to Grand Cairo, when the 
rising of the Nile is at once a pleasure and a profit."* 

The proper moment for gathering the grape is 
agreed to be when the pellicle is thin and transparent, 
not breaking easily between the teeth ; when the 
color is deep ; if the grape be white, when it takes a 
gray tint; if red, when it puts on a dark color, or if 
violet, a deep black. The stems of the dusters, 
when they have become in substance like wood, los- 
ing their green hue, and resemblingthe main branches 
of the vine in texture is another sign; and, finally, 
when from the pendent cluster the grape gives way 
readily; the fruit, particularly in the south, being al- 
lowed to shrivel up by the sun's action, if required 
for the sweet and luscious wines. 

The time of the vintage being fixed, the 

* Forde. 



20 THE yiNTAGE. 

gathering is began as early in the day as pos- 
sible after the sun has dissipated the dew, and 
is conducted with as much rapidity as possible, 
if the weather continues fisiir, so as to terminate 
the pressing in one day. If this cannot be done, the 
vintage is suspended ; for the fermentation in a warm 
or even moderate temperature, is far more energetic 
than in cold weather. It.ruins the durability of the 
wine if the fruit is gathered and fermented at such a 
time. In some parts of Spain the vintage lasts for 
several weeks, so as to ensure maturity to all the 
grapes. 

In some countries the clusters are cut o£f the plant 
with a knife ; in France the scissors are used, and in 
ruder countries, the hand only is applied, a mode in- 
jurious to the grape as well as to the vine. In the 
better vine districts, the grapes are plucked &om the 
bunches ; in the others, placed entire in the press, 
stems and all. The astringent principle lodged in 
the stems is thought to be beneficial, and to impart 
to the wine a capacity of endurance. 

The vintage operations in France are conducted 
with more attention and regard to cleanliness than 
in any other wine country ,* and the treatment of the 
fruit at the vintage is more or less agreeable to 
science, in proportion as the wine made is in demand 
beyond the limits of local consumption ; they usual- 
ly make three separate gatherings of the fruit. The 
first includes all the finest and ripest bunches ; all 
dry, spoiled, unripe or rotten grapes, or such as have 
been eaten into by insects, are cleared from the clus- 



THE yiNTAOE. 21 

ters. The second gathering implies naturally a 
second pressing ; the grapes are not quite as ripe as 
for the first pressing. The last gathering and press- 
ing consist of the inferior grapes. The gathered 
fruit is deposited as lightly as possible in a basket or 
wooden vessel, and removed with great care to pre- 
vent its being bruised ; otherwise, in making white 
wines from colored grapes, it is apt to impart a red 
or purple color to the wine. In making red wines, 
the grapes must l)e bruised or trodden, to disengage 
the color from the skin; after treading they are 
thrown into the vat, the color disengages itself and 
then the press is applied to the murk. 

In Italy and the remote parts of Spain, Portugal, 
and other wine countries, nothing can be more rude 
and unscientific than the wine-making ; no pains are 
taken, no selection is made. The fruit is thrown in- 
discriminately into the vat, the black with the white, 
the sound with the decayed grapes, and all refining 
operations left to the fermentation of nature. The 
Xerez vineyards in the vicinity of Cadiz, those of 
the Upper Douro in Portugal, and some few others 
form exceptions. 

In the manufacture of wines, the wine-press is 
most generally used, of which there are various 
kinds. When the grapes are placed in the press, it 
is used gently, that the wine may not overflow ; the 
pressure is then gradually increased, until the murk 
is moderately acted upon. This is the first pressing. 
The grapes which did not sustain pressure, being 
scattered over the edges of the heap, are How gath- 



22 THE VIKTAGB. 

ered up, the press relaxed, and being placed upon 
the murk, the press is tightened again. The wine 
fix>m this is called of the second pressing. The 
edges of the whole mass are now squared with a 
cutting ihstrument, so that the mass of fruit is re- 
duced to the form of an immense oblong cake, upon 
which the cuttings of the edges are heaped, and the 
press worked again, which makes wine of the third 
pressing, or, as the wine makers call it, '' wine of 
the first cutting." The pressing and cutting are re- 
peated two or three times, and what liquid flows is 
called among the laborers, " wine of the second or 
third cutting." Last of all, the murk is frequently 
steeped to make piqtiette, or small wine for the 
laborers. 

The wine of the first pressing is always kept 
apart from the rest, especially when the season 
is hot, and the fruit is ripe. It would be apt to 
take a red color if mixed with the wine of the 
second pressing, when it is designed to make white 
wine. 

The vats are always cleaned and put in order by 
the time the vintage commences, in those countries 
where due regard is had to the character of the wine. 
The fermentation, carried on in casks in Spain, 
in France and Germany is effected in vats more or 
less capacious. The quicker the vinous fermenta- 
tion is eflPected, the better the wine. To this end, 
each vat is filled on the same day, wherever the 
process is well understood ; but they are not quite 
filled up, lest the must should ferment over. Vats 



THB VnTTAGE. 28 

of a large size are not often employed in cold dimates, 
where the seasons are hazardous, because they take 
too long a time to fill. In warm climates, the larger 
the vat the more active is the fermentation. 

There is one species of wine made without beat- 
ing, treading or pressing, this is what they call in 
Spain, '^ hgrirMxi^ The grapes, melting with ripeness, 
are suspended in bunches, and the wine is the pro- 
duce of the droppings. This can only be effected 
with the muKoid grape of the warm South. In this 
way the richest Malaga is made. In Cyprus the 
grapes are beaten with mallets on an inclined plane 
of marble, with a reservoir either at the side or at 
one end. 

The must of the South of France is employed in 
making a rich confection with citron and aromatic 
sweets. The richer pears, apples, prunes, melons, 
mushrooms, and roots of various kinds, are mashed 
and mingled with muBt^ boiled down to a syrup, till 
they are incorporated by methods which it would be 
foreign to present objects to particularize. 

The murh^ after being taken from the vat, is still 
rich in mmt^ and is accordingly again submitted to 
pressure; the product is nearly in quality to that 
first taken. On the residue of the grapes, the refuse 
of the vintage, together with the murk, hot water 
and syrup are thrown, and the product is a very 
small wine, cooling and pleasant to the palate, fla- 
vored with peaches, elder for color, and a little 
Florence iris. This is commonly called pii^tte, and 
is given to harvest people and cultivators in the 



24 THE VINTAGE. 

South, during the last burning days of the summer, 
or rather autumn. 

The murk is invaluable, and is applied to innu- 
merable purposes. One hundred and ninety parts 
of murk burned, furnish five and a quarter of potash. 
The murk, beaten in water and distilled, produces 
brandy of a secondary quality. Vinegar is also ex- 
tracted from the murk acidified. Yerdigris is also 
made from murk. In Germany and France the murk 
is found to be an excellent food for cattle, on which 
they fatten with the same facility as those animals 
do which are fed on the reAise of corn distilleries and 
breweries ; it is given dry or mingled with fodder, for 
if eaten firesh from the vat, it intoxicates and injures 
them. Fowls are remarkably fond of it, and it is 
one of the best dressings for the vineyard of any 
known. 

The murk, in a state of fermentation, is found to 
be useful as a bath for rheumatic limbs, by exciting 
perspiration. It is said to be a specific for the rick- 
ets used in this way. Fractured limbs placed in a ves- 
sel of murk, hot from fermentation, for a longer or 
shorter time as may be necessary, are said to be con- 
solidated more rapidly than by any other meaas. It 
is often dried from the press, and burned where fuel 
is scarce, being laid up fof winter use, exactly like 
tan, in some parts of England. 

Messrs. livenais & Berhardt, chemists, in Paris, 
have recently discovered that the decomposition of 
grape skins after the last pressing, and lees of wine, 
disengages a carbonated hydrogen gas of superior 



THB YIKTAaBL 25 

qnalily. One pound of dried grape skins, placed in 
a white-hot retort, furnished, in less than seven 
minutes, three hundred and fifty quarts of excellent 
hydrogen gas. The gas burns with a brilliant white 
flame, is without odor, and emits little smoke in 
comparison with that produced from pit coal and 
rosin. 



CHAPTER IV. 

OF FERMENTATION. 

PRIMARY CAUSE UHKNOWN — TEMPERATURE — ^PRINCIPLE — PRO- 
CESS — TIME REQUmSD — COLOR — ESSENTIAL INGREDIEFTS — 
SECONDARY FERMENTATION — ^PRECIPITATION AND INVISIBLE 
FERMENTATION. 

The primary cause of fermentation, like that of 
other chemical agencies, will probably always re- 
main hidden from our view ; and an approximation 
to the truth, is the most that can be expected on 
such a subject; we must rest satisfied with the 
knowledge of the principal conditions on which it 
depends; and by which the qualities of its pro- 
ducts are influenced. Nor can our acquaintance 
with any of the great operations of nature be said 
to be more complete. 

The temperature most favorable to vinous fer- 
mentation, appears to be the sixty-fifth degree 
of Fahrenheit. Below that degree it is languid ; 
above it becomes violent ; and, at a very high, or 
very low temperature,' it will no longer take place. 

The great principle, without which vinous fer- 
mentation cannot be perfected, is the saccharine 



FEBMBNTATIOK. 27 

matter; yet this principle will remain inactive, unless 
it be combined with other vegetable matter in due 
quantity to effect the result desired. A relative 
proportion of sugar must combine with the substan- 
ces thus necessary. 

When the must, or juice which is obtained by 
the pressure of ripe grapes, is exposed to the tem- 
perature 'of 65^ of F^renheit's scale, it speedily 
begins to ferment; small bubbles first collect on the 
top, and may be seen gradually issuing from the 
central parts of the liquor, and buoying up the 
husks, stones, and other grosser matters which it 
contains ; as the disengagement of gas proceeds, a 
hissing noise is produced by the bursting of the 
bubbles, and a frothy crust or scum is formed by 
the viscid particles which they have carried to the 
surface, called by the French the chapeau. An in- 
crease of the temperature and bulk of the ferment- 
ing mass now takes place; the must loses its original 
consistency, and its saccharine taste, acquiring a 
deeper color and vinous flavor, with an odor of spirit 
of wine, which becomes more perceptible as the pro- 
cess advancea At length these commotions of the 
fluid abate spontaneously ; and after a few days, and 
sometimes after a few hours of rapid fermentation, 
the ebullition ceases altogether, the mass subsides to 
its former bulk ; and the crust and solid particles 
which disturbed the transparency of the liquor, are 
precipitated to the bottom of the vessel. 

The time necessary to compliBte the fermentation 
differs according to the quality and ripeness of the 



28 FERMENTATION.. 

grapes, the species of plant, the soil, and the temper- 
ature of the vineyard. In some places in France, 
as in Burgundy, the mtist remains in the vat from 
six to thirty hours only. Near Lyons it is left six 
or eight days, or even as many as from twelve to 
twenty ; in the southeast from twenty-five to forty. 
At Narbonne it is frequently kept for seventy days, 
and the fermentation being over, the wine clarifies 
in the vat, in contact with the stalks, which add 
strength to it. It appears that the head, daily acquir- 
ing greater consistency, at length completely excludes 
the atmospheric air, and the wine is deemed secure. 
This usage it must be unsafe to depend upon ; there * 
is a great hazard to the wine in the practice. In 
Portugal about seventy or eighty hours may be the 
average of fermentation ; in Spain from four to five 
days, varying according to the temperature. In 
Germany the stalks are rarely suffered to remain 
during fermentation; in Portugal always, and in 
. Spain too this is generally the practice. 

In regard to color it may be necessary to remark, 
that some of the most perfect wines in that respect, 
as well as in delicacy of taste, remain only six hours 
in the vat Time, in fermentation, does not add to 
the depth of color, the bruising of the skins alone 
imparts it. 

Sugar, vegetable extract, tartarous and malic 
acid, and water, are essential ingredients in the com- 
position of wine ; and as they vary in quantity in the 
fruit, different results are produced on the must un- 
dergoing fermentation. The vegetable extract, or 



FERMENTATIOK. 29 

leaven, is a principle plentiful in \^heat, and bears 
the character of albumen, in which azote is also as- 
certained to be present. If on fermentation a good 
proportion of tartar does not appear, a dry wine will 
not be the product ; for in the rich luscious wines 
there is the smaller quantity of tartar, the great 
richness of the grape occasioning the saccharine 
matter to be in excess. This difference in the fruit 
is caused by the climate and sun, and the excessive 
ripeness of the grape, even to the shrivelling of the 
skin in some cases. Thus the rich sweet grape of 
the climate of Malaga, in which sugar abounds, as 
may be expected, produces a wine very different 
from Burgundy, where the tartaric and saccharine 
principles are nearly on an equality.' In the Malaga 
wine the sugar is not all decomposed in fermentation ; 
in Burgundy it is wholly so. The saccharine matter 
is in dry wines wholly changed by fermentation into 
spirit, or alcohol, from simple vinous fermentation. 
This is most probably not the case with the luscious 
wines, or they would be much more spirituous than 
they are. 

The second fermentation in the cask is a minia- 
ture repetition of that in the vat. A precipitation 
then takes place, and the wine is afterwards racked. 
A third, called the insensible fermentation, continues 
for a long period after the wine appears as perfect as 
art can make it. Time, which mellows the harshness 
of the wine, blends more intimately the component 
parts, while all extraneous matter and the tartar are 
thrown down, adhering to the sides of the cask. 



CHAPTER V. 

OF WINE. 

DIFF£BENT FROM OTHEB FEBMENTXD BEVERAGES — CAUSES OF 
THE EXTREBfE YARIETT IN SPECIES AND QUALITY — MODES OF 
OBTAINING DIFFERENT KINDS — COLOR DERIVED FROM THE SKIN 
OF THE GRAPE — DIVISION OF RED AND WHITE — STILL — DRT — 
SPARKLING — SWEET — STRONG — ^WEAK — ^THREE KINDS MADE 
FROM ONE SPECIES OF GRAPE. 

Wine differs essentiallj from spirit, the former being 
fermented, and the latter distilled. It maj be 
made of the juice of all plants, the sap of trees, the 
infusions and decoctions of £uinaceous vegetables, 
the milk of frugivorous animals; and lastly, it may 
be made of all ripe and succulent fruits. But of all 
substances susceptible of fermentation, none is capa- 
ble of being converted into so good wine as the 
juice of the grape. 

Correctly speaking, the term wine is restricted to 
the produce of the vine, as no fruit but the grape 
contains tartarous acid or its combinations in suffi- 
cient quantity for making wine— other fruits contain 
malic acid. According to Scheele and Braconnot, 
there is no other acid in the grape than the tartaric. 



WINE. 81 

The extreme variety in the species of wine is 
caused by the variety of vines, combined with the 
difference of soil, climate, mode of preparation, &c. 
It would not be easy to make the reader compre- 
hend the minute distinction between one variety of 
vine and another, by any description of the pen, 
nor is it easy to determine what particular circum- 
stances cause those alterations in the nature of the 
vine which occasion its varieties ; and yet we know 
that between places immediately contiguous to each 
other, and where even a careful observer would 
hardly remark any difference, the qualities of the 
wine, though produced from the same species of 
grape, and treated in the same way, are often very 
different A great deal evidently depends upon the 
aspect of the vineyard, as the superior flavor of 
wines grown on the sides of hills, compared with 
those raised on the plain, is universally admitted; 
and it is certain also that a good deal depends upon 
peculiarities of soil. But whatever may be the 
cause, it is well known that there are wines raised 
in some limited districts, such as Tokay, Constantia, 
Cyprus, Johannisberg, the best Burgundy, Cham- 
pagne and Claret, that no art or care has hitherto 
succeeded in producing of equal goodness in other 
places. In illustration of this we may adduce the 
growth of the celebrated Mont-Kachet wine. The 
insulated part towards the top of the hill, fur- 
nishes the wine called Chevalier Mont-Eachet, 
which is less esteemed, and sells at a much lower 
price, than the delicious wine grown on the middle 



\ 



82 WINE. 

height, called true Mont-Bachet Beneath this dis- 
trict and in the surrounding plains, the vines afford 
a £ur inferior quality, called Batard Mont-Bachet. 
The opposite side also produces a very indifferent 
wine. Similar differences, in a greater or less de- 
gree, are observed relatively to the districts which 
grow the Pomard, Volnay, Beaune, Nuits, Clos de 
Yougeot, Chambertin, Boman^e, where it is found 
that the reverse side of the bill, the summit and the 
plain, although generally consisting of like soil, 
afford inferior wine to the middle and southern 
slopes. This cause appears inexplicable unless one 
portion of the vines draws its nourishment from a 
stratum which the others do not reach, and thus 
a different quality attaches to the fruit from some- 
thing which it obtains from its own peculiar 
sources. 

Wines differ much fix>m one another in the re- 
spective proportion of their constituents. These va- 
riations depend partly on original differences, partly 
on difference of climate, cultivation, growths and 
vintages, partly on difference of management before 
and after fermentation, and sometimes upon express 
additions being made to alter the flavor ; the time 
of the year when the vintage is collected, the pre- 
paration of the grapes previously to their being 
trodden and pressed, and the various manipulations 
and processes adopted in their fermentation, all tend 
to determine the character of the wines produced ; 
at the same time we must remember that in all pure 
unbrandied wines of the first growth, the difference 



WINE. 88 

between one and anotber is rather that of the seasons 
and vintages, than the effect of any other cause. 

The following astute remarks present a correct 
exposition of this subject : " A considerable period 
must elapse before any vintage can be pronounced 
upon. It has happened, more than once, that the 
wines of certain years began to be appreciated only 
wh^ Acre were but small portions remaining. 

"It is generally allowed that it is much easier to 
judge of the white wines than the red, even from the 
vintage. In the red, present taste requires a perfect 
equilibrium of different opposite properties, which 
mutually counteract each other; such as body, a 
fine color^ and perfect maturity, together with an 
agreeable flavor, smoothness, and an exquisite per- 
fume. But with respect to the white, all that is re- 
quired of them is, that they should possess body and 
strength. 

"For red wines to succeed to perfection, they 
require a very rare succession of changes of temper- 
ature : now warm, to ripen the grapes ; and now 
dry, to stop the sap. But after all, the wine will 
sometimes deceive the judgment of the most subtle 
connoisseurs, of which many Bordeaux merchants 
are examples ; and many years which have since 
been highly esteemed, had been preceded by summers 
so unfavorable as to cause proprietors to despair of 
their vintage. Such were the years 1819 and 1828^ 
even in 1834, no proprietor expected to make so 
good a wine. 

Moreover, among the best vines the diversity of 
8 



84 WINE. 

qualities is very great : some giving a delicate wine, 
but of a weak color, others having more body ; these 
being distinguished for their color, those for their 
softness. It is therefore necessary to choose, among 
these different qualities, a suitable proportion to make 
a perfect wine. But, in q)ite of this choice, as these 
several plants bloom, develope and ripen, at different 
periods, it will almost always happen that one will 
predominate to the detriment of the others. To 
these causes must be attributed the very different 
success of the same crU during several years, or that 
of two cr&s of the same class in the same year." — 
Bordeaux and its Wines j by 0, Cocks. 

Kit be the object of the grower to obtain a dry 
and full flavored wine, he will gather the grapes as 
soon as they have acquired their proper maturity, 
and before they begin to shrink or wither on the 
stalk ; or if he wish to have a very brisk wine, he 
may collect them before they are perfectly ripe : but 
if a sweet wine be desired, he will postpone the vin- 
ti^ to the latest possible period. This option, 
however, is left him only in those countries where 
the fruit of the vine ripens very early; for, in more 
northern climates, the grapes must frequently be 
gathered in a green state, otherwise they will rot on 
the stalks. 

In some vineyards the grapes are suffered to 
remain exposed to the sun till they become half 
dried ; in others they are gathered when ripe, and 
spread to dry upon straw ; by which means the juice 
acquires a higher degree of consistence and richness. 



WINE. 85 

The stalks of the grapes when added to the mustf 
operate as a powerful leaven, and augment the 
strength of the wine ; but to the weaker sorts the j 
are apt to communicate a harsh and austere flavor, 
in consequence, of the tannin and extractive matter 
which they contain. In the preparation of Port 
wines they are always used, but are excluded in the 
case of all the more delicate red wines — where the 
saccharine principle predominates they must contri- 
bute to the strength of the wine, but not otherwise. 

The color of the wine is derived from the skin 
of the grape ; for the juice of red or black grapes, 
when fermented without the hulls, gives a wine 
equally colorless as that which is procured from 
white grapes. To this rule, however, the Tent or 
Tinto grape furnishes an exception, having the col- 
oring matter diffused through the pulp — a light of 
deep tinge maybe communicated to the wine accord* 
ing to the degree of pressure used on the grapes, but 
it is only by a complete fermentation of the skin with 
the fruit that the full color is extracted. 

Wines are divided into two principal classes, red 
and white. White wines are of an amber color, more 
or less deep. The generality of white wines are 
made from white grapes, but some are from black 
ones, the skins of which are carefully kept from im- 
parting their color. 

The varieties of wines are also innumerable, and 
they are divided according to their sensible qualities, 
their leading constituents, or their commercial re- 
sources, and may be classed as still or dry, sparkling 



86 WINB, 

and sweet wines ; the first, and most important, maj 
be divided into strong and lueak wines ; in the former, 
are reckoned all wines the produce of Spain, Portu- 
gal, Madeira, Sicily, &c. ; the latter, or weak wines, 
include those of France, Germany, &c. ; the sweet 
wines are produced in nearly all the wine countries 
of Europe, excepting Germany. 

Although every species of grape is suited to 
making a particular description of wine, yet the 
grapes of some districts and vineyards, by diflference 
of management during fermentation, will produce 
sweet, sparkling, and still wines — ^the sweet wines 
from these grapes are obtained by stopping the pro- 
cess of fermentation, at an early stage, while a con- 
siderable part of the sugar remains unaltered. To 
produce sparkling wines, the fermentation is more ad- 
vanced without its being arrested, and the wine, after 
undergoing peculiar management, is bottled, so that 
as it continues to ferment it becomes charged with 
carbonic acid. In still wines, the fermentation is 
allowed to proceed till the greater pan of the sugar 
has disappeared, and undergoes conversion into al- 
cohol. 

Some grapes, especially those grown in the 
South, and of highly matured fruity cannot, from the 
want of tartar, be made dry, but are always sweet, 
because the proportion of sugar and tartar are out of 
due relation. It is to the presence of tartar that 
wine owes its superiority over other fermented 
beverages. 



CHAPTER VI. 

O F W I N E. 

PRINCIPLES WHICH OEIGINATE THE BOUQUET AND AROMA — ^Dim- 
CULTT OF DISTIHGUISHniG QUALITIES — ^DEFINITION OF THE 
PROPERTIES — FLAVOR OF NEW AND MATURE WINES— ODOR AND 
FLAVOR CHIEFLT REFERABLE TO THE SOIL — CAUSES OF ER- 
RONEOUS DESCRIPTIONS — ^INGREDIENTS OF WINE — CLASSIC 
DELINEATION OF PERFECT WINE — PROPERTIES WHICH CONSTI- 
TUTE DIFFERENCES— COMPARISON OF RED AND WHITE WINES 
— ^DURABILITT OF FINE WINE AND HOW DISTINGUISHED FROM 
ORDINARY. 

The causes which originate the variety of wines and 
their different grades have been already enumerated 
and explained. The following remarks will convey 
to the readier some of the distinguishing peculiarities 
attached to all pure wines, but more particularly 
those of the finer kinds. 

All wines possess a peculiar aroma or perfume, 
some are distinguished by a high bouquet and grate- 
ful aromatic flavor, which often constitutes one of 
their most valuable qualities. On what principle this 
bouquet or aroma depends, or in what part of the 
grape it resides, has not as yet been satisfactorily 



88 WINE. ; 

ascertained. Some are of opinion that this propertj 
abounds chiefly in the skin of the grape, and sug- 
gest the expediency of suspending some of the 
ripest and most odoriferous bunches in the cask, 
after the fermentation has subsided, in order to 
heighten the perfume of the wine. A similar prac- 
tice, indeed, has been long known in the manufac- 
ture of the vini raspali of the Italians, and the vins 
rajpSs of the French. Other wines are distinguished 
by their rough and astringent taste, which is derived 
from the hull and in part from the pips of the grape, 
when allowed to ferment in the vat. These and 
other differences in the character of wines, may all 
be traced to peculiarities in the nature and preparation 
of the grapes from which they are manufactured, or 
to uarticular modes of conducting the fermentation. 
^^^he adoption of terms which other nations em- 
ploy for the purpose of distinguishing their wines, 
would not be of much avail to those who are unac- 
quainted with the wines themselves; such terms 
could convey but very imperfect notions of their 
qualities; and, unless where great correctness and 
precision can be attained, the resort to a foreign 
idiom ought to be avoided. If our nomenclature of 
tastes were much more complete than it is, the 
flavors* of wine are so varied, and their minuter 

* It IS nniversally admitted that the flavors of wine are influ- 
enced bj the grape fh>m which it is made, as the grape is fVom the 
soil ; nevertheless, this flavor often varies, fl*om the must entering 
into new combinations, as well as from the different modes of mak- 
ing the same wine by difi*erent wine growers. 



WINK 89 

differences and combinations so infinite, that it would 
still be a very difficult task to designate them with 
requisite precision. In this perplexity we derive 
considerable assistance from a reference to the known 
flavors of other substances, which may be deemed 
analogous to those of wine, and in describing the 
varieties of aroma, we draw with equal freedom from 
the same source. Still there is often something so 
peculiar in the flavor and perfume of wines, as to 
baffle our utmost powers of description ; and, indeed, 
it may be doubted whether one of the principal 
charms of choice wine does not consist in this uncer- 
tainty and indistinctness of taste and smell. In the 
description of the Saprian wine, how inferior an idea 
should we have formed of its excellence, if the poet 
had merely ascribed to it a strong scent of the violet, 
the hyacinth, or the rose, instead of telling us that 
its smell was a delicious compound of the odor of 
violets, hyacinths and roses, and that it spread 
around the fragrancy of nectar and ambrosia. 

In most wines, it is true, certain tastes predomi- 
nate; and these can be easily discriminated when 
the wine is new. Port, for example, may be called 
bitter, rough and astringent ; Bhine wines, sharp and 
acidulous; Malmsey, bitter-sweet; but what terms 
will convey an adequate notion of that peculiar 
ethereal flavor which distinguishes each of these 
wines when duly mellowed by age, and which, in 
fact, is only developed by long keeping — the only 
satisfactory and intelligent way in which the de- 
scription can be given, is by a comparison with some 




40 WINK. 

other known sensation of taste, respecting which all 
men are agreed. 

• In like manner, these properties of wine, which 
we reoogni25e by the organ of smell, — 

" Foolish delight, and fond ahosions 
Which do this sense besiege with light illnsions," 

are equally various and difficult of investigation and 
definition. In general, they bear some analogy to 
the tastes; but sometimes they are essentially differ- 
ent. ■ Frequently, also, they become sensible after 
a long course of years, exalting the other virtues of 
the wine, and imparting to it a delicacy which it did 
not before possess. Accordingly in all descriptions 
of the rarer wines, much stress is laid on such attri- 
butes, and in certain languages particular terms are 
appropriated to the designation of them. 

There can be little doubt that the characteristic 
varieties of taste and odor, originate chiefly from 
peculiarities of the soil where the vines are grown ; 
for they continue more or less distinct in the pro- 
duce of particular districts, notwithstanding great 
differences in the exposure of the vineyards, and in 
the warmth of the seasons. But it is equally certain 
that the last-mentioned circumstance has als6 a ma- 
terial influence on these qualities, which are, in truth, 
of so delicate and inconstant a nature, that they may 
be said to vary from year to year, there being, per- 
haps, no two vintages, though collected from the 
same spot, and managed in the same manner, that 
will be found completely identical in flavor and 



WINE. 41 

perfume ; it is also necessary to add here, that wines 
of the red class, do not so sensibly retain the taste 
and odor of the grape from which it is made, as 
the white wines do. 

y^^'^ taste and smell reside not in the object them- 
"^ves, but in the senses by which they are perceived, 
so they are liable to be modified by the habits and 
conditions of these organs. The difference of tastes 
in this view of the subject is proverbial ; and much 
of the diversity undoubtedly proceeds from the way 
in which the palate has been exercised. Thus, strong 
liquors blunt its sensibility, and disqualify it for the 
perception of the more delicate flavors of the lighter 
wines. A person accustomed only to bad or ordi- 
nary wines will often form but a very erroneous esti- 
mate of the higher grades, and, sometimes, even give 
the preference to the former. Whole nations may 
be occasionally misled by this prejudice. A traveller 
who arrives at the end of his journey exhausted by 
fatigue and thirst, will be apt to ascribe the most 
delicious qualities to the first ordinary wine present- 
ed to him, which, under other circumstances, he 
perhaps could have hardly endured: and a con- 
tinued use of the inferior wines of one country may 
lead him to overrate the vinous produce of another. 
If it were possible for an individual to traverse all 
the wine countries of the globe, and taste all the dif- 
ferent vintages, still his observations and judgments 
would be liable to much fallacy, and could be reckon- 
ed decisive only when confirmed by general report. 
All wines possess what is called the vinous fla^ 



y' 



' 



42 WINE. 

vor, originating from the alcohol which they contain, 
and modified in the different varieties, according to 
the properties in which that ingredient is combined 
with the aqueous, acid, saline, mucilaginous, ex- 
tractive and aj'omatic principles! In good wine the 
taste of none of these substances should be predomi- 
nant ; but the whole ought to amalgamate and 
form a perfect blend, having its distinct and peculiar 
flavor, which should be full and entire, not cloying 
on the palate, nor leaving any unpleasant after-taste 
The following verses may be received as conveying 
a tolerably correct description of the qualities gener- 
ally sought for in the more delicate wines : — 

" Apricus cupio yinam mihi collibus ortrum 

Molle, yetus, frag:ili prosiliensque vitro ; 
Quod inicet, et rutilo nitido praeclarias auro, 

£t ciyus morsus saucia linqua probet ; 
Ora nee ingratus gnstantam Icedat amaror, 

£t gravibos curia pectora pressa levet ; 
Nee capiti noceat, sed vertice serpat ab ipso, 

ProtiDUs ad summos perveniatque pedes 
Si datur hoc vobis, Acheloia pocula longe 

lie, salutiferi toxica saeva men." 
He Protopo^apud IUmdszxa de Ftneo, Viitdcmia, et Vino. Vtnet 1629. 

Give me the wine from sunuy hills, 

That's mellow, old and fine, 
That's clearer than the bubbling rills, 

Bright as Francisco's mine ; 

That sparkles in the fhtgile cup ; 

That's brisk and soft and dry, 
Whose flavor in the smallest drop 

The skilled tongue values high. 



WINE. 48 

No nauseoas bitter wounds the moath, 

It lifts the heart on high ; 
Like balmy airs of sanny south, 

It softens every sigh. 

HealthfVilly flows its ruby stream, 

Strength floats upon its wave, 
It stays not one bright joyous beam 

Which men do well to crave. 

Far, far away ! thou poisoned cup 

Of Achelorian wine ; 
Grant me what lifts the spirit up— 

On earth this boon be mine. 



In the manufacture of certain wines, however, 
we are sometimes obliged to forego this species of 
excellence, in order to obtain particular qualities. 
The virtues of the brisk wines, of Champagne, for 
example, reside in the carbonic acid gas, which es- 
capes, in a great measure, when the pressure is with- 
drawn, by which it was retained in union with the 
water and mucilage, carrying along with it much of 
the alcohol and aroma. The grateful properties of 
sweet wines, on the other hand, depend upon the 
abundance of saccharine matter which remains un- 
decomposed ; and the vinous attributes of some of 
the Burgundy wines are sacrificed in order to pre- 
serve the high aroma for which they are so justly 
prized. 

In some points of view, white wines may be re- 
garded as more perfect than red wines, at least they 
appear to contain fewer elements of decomposition. 



4A WINE. 

The strong red wines, wliich are fermented with the 
hulls, and sometimes with the stalks of the grapes, 
do not attain their highest excellence until after 
they have deposited a considerable portion of their 
tartar and coloring matter; but the lighter red 
wines are generally in perfection before this change 
takes place ; for when they lose their color, they 
rapidly alter and pass into a vapid state. White 
wines, on the other hand, even when of inferior 
quality, will remain much longer unchanged, prob- 
ably because they contain less mucilaginous and 
extractive matter ; and when they have been well 
fermented, maybe preserved for an indefinite length 
of time. They, however, usually yield to the red in 
• respect to flavor and perfume. Few, if any, of the 
white wines of France, for instance, can vie in these 
points with the red growths of the principal vine- 
yards of Burgundy, Medoc, Gascony, and the Rhone, 
In Germany, on the other hand, the red wines are 
seldom so high flavored as the white. 

The color of red wines varies from a light pink 
to a deep purple tint, approaching to black. The 
Olarets hold an intermediate rank between these 
two extremes. Some white wines are nearly color- 
less, but the greater portion have a yellow tinge. 

In perfect wine, the constituents are duly balanc- 
ed, and if it contains a larger portion of sugar than 
the leaven which may still exist in it is capable of 
decomposing, it will keep an indefinite length of 
time without experiencing any deleterious change. 

The fine wines are known from the ordinary, by 



WINE. 45 

their superior flavor, aroma, and body ; they always 
improve by long keeping, and their excellence ma- 
terially depends upon the retention of the aroma 
and bouquet 



CHAPTER VIL 

OF THE TTINES OF FRANCE. 

WTRODXJCTION OF THE VINE — ^FRAMCE THE VINEYARD OF THE 
EARTH — THE SUPERIORITY OF HER WINES ABOVE ALL OTHERS 
— ^THEIR VARIETY AND DURABILITY — ^WINE CULTIVATION, ONE 

OF HER MOST IBCFORTANT BRANCHES OF INDUSTRY ^WINES 

OF THE 6IR0NDE — CLARET AND ITS VARIOUS GROWTHS— GRAVE 
WINES — GRAND SUMMARY OF THE WINES OF THE GIRONDE — 
CHAMPAGNE — STILL — CREAMING—HIGH SPARKLING — CLASSIC 
DESCRIPTION OF CREAMING CHAMPAGNE-— GENERAL OBSERVA- 
TIONS ON CHAMPAGNE — ^MANUFACTURE — BURGUNDY AND ITS 
VARIOUS GROWTHS— CONTROVERSY AS TO THE COMPARATIVE 
MERITS OF CHAMPAGNE AND BURGUNDY — HERMITAGE — C6TE 
ROTIE — ROUSILLON — RIVESALTES — FRONTIGNAC — ^VIN DE 
PAILLE — ST. FERAI — VIN DE GARDE. 

The vine was introduced into France by the 
Phoceans, six hundred years before the Christian 
era, and it is supposed was first cultivated at Mar- 
seilles, but there appears to have been no advances 
in its culture till after the arrival and conquest of 
the Bomans. 

France is the vineyard of the earth. Her fertile 
soil, gentle acclivities, clear sunny skies, and fine 
summer temperature, place her, in conjunction with 
her experience, and the advantages of science ap- 



WINES OF FRANCE. 47 

plied to vinification, the foremost in the art of mak- 
ing the jaioe which so gladdens the human heart. 
She is able to manufacture within her own limits, 
every description of wine, from the harsh product of 
her Northern provinces, to the luscious Malmsey of 
the South ; from her delicious Claret, Champagne, 
and Burgundy, which have no equals, to her rich 
Lunel and Frontignac, with all the grades of class 
and quality besides, 

"The Claret smooth, red as the lip we press 
In sparkling fancy, while we drain the bowl ; 
The mellow-tasted Burgnndy, and. quick 
As is the wit it giyes, the gay Champagne/' 

Thomson. 

The wines of France, against those of all the 
earth, may be fairly said ; their effect on the health 
is grateful and beneficial. # They do not, like many 
other wines^ by being too strongly impregnated with 
brandy, carry disease into the stomach ^t the moment 
of social joy. They cheer and exhilarate, while they 
fascinate all but coarse palates, with their delicate 
and delicious flavor. Their variety is great, and 
they stand upon their own intrinsic merits. 

Some of the wines of France will keep for a long 
term of years, Eousillon has been drank a century 
old, and still found in high perfection. Many other 
kinds are found at fifty and sixty years old to re- 
main good. The wines of Champagne, Burgundy, 
and Medoc, are comparatively short-lived, being 
more delicate and having less body. 



^ 



48 WINES OP FRANCE. 

The cultivation in all the wine districts is agree- 
ably striking ; and the beautiful vineyards which so 
charmingly clothe the sides of hills (otherwise barren 
from not suiting a different purpose in agriculture), 
with fertility and verdure ; even the rockiest and 
shallowest lands, from the Moselle to the Mediter- 
ranean, from the Bhine to the Atlantic, display in 
this way either the skill or the old prejudices of the 
people. As a whole, what a picture does this rich 
country present, flowing with corn, silk, wine, oil 
and honey 1 Corn, wine, mulberries and olives, di- 
viding from north to south the soil which a genial 
sun warms, and an agricultural population look upon 
with unfailing joyousness^ 

In other countries, to nature is left almost the 
sole management of the production of such wines as 
obtain a celebrity beyond the territory in which they 
are grown. In Italy sM. Spain nature has done 
every thing, and man has generally deteriorated her 
gifts. One of the first red wines in the world is the 
Val de Penas, yet it is scarcely to be drank beyond 
Manzanares without the defilement of pitch from 
the goatskins in which it is carried. In France 
the slightest foreign taste, scarcely perceptible to the 
stranger, would not be suffered in the better classes 
of wine. The national honor cannot be more scru- 
pulously watched, than the purity and perfect qual- 
ity of the fruit of the vintage is regarded by the 
better class of vine growers. The consequence is 
that no wines in the world are its equals. 

The production of wine constitutes the materials 



WINES OP PRANCE. 49 

of a vast commerce, and is next to the ordinary busi- 
ness of agriculture, by far the most extensive and 
valuable branch of industry in France. It is stated 
on the best authority that the quantity of wine 
annually produced in France amounts at an average 
to one billion one hundred millions of gallons, and 
its value is not less than two hundred millions of 
dollars. Upwards of three millions of persons are 
employed in its production, and about three hundred 
thousand wine sellers. 



WINES OP THE GIBONDE. 

Under the denomination of the wines of the 
Gironde, are included those of the districts in the 
vicinity of Bordeaux, in some directions for many 
leagues in extent. Of all the wines of France these 
are most familiar to foreigners beyond the seas, be- 
ing exported in the largest quantities. The depart- 
ment of Gironde is part of ancient Gascony, and is 
rich in the produce of the vine. In the quantity 
produced, in the variety, in quality and value, it 
stands the first district in France, and in a commer- 
cial point of view it is the most important 

ChreU 

The word Claret is an English corruption oiclairet^ 
which signifies those wines which are red or rose- 
colored — ^in all countries except France, this term is 
applied to the various growths of Medoc and the 
4 



\. 



50 wran or fkaws. 

Bordelaifl withoat any distmeticm — these growdis 
are also designated " Bordeaux." 

The soil finr the most part on which these wines 
are grown, is composed of red sand and grayid with 
a mixture of calcareoos loam, in some districts flint 
stones of an oval form and a grayish white color are 
found intermixed. No soil can be more Taried in 
its quality and produce, and this is one chief cause 
of the variety of grades and flavor in the wines. Tet 
the quality of the best growths can hardly be referred 
to the presence of particular soil alone ; for, in the 
adjoining territory of St Estephe, the wine of which 
sells for one-fifl^h or one-sixth of the price of that of 
Lafite, the same gravelly soil presents itself. Nor 
can t)ie superiority of the produce be satisfactorily 
accounted for by the exposure any more than by 
the nature of the soil; for the wine of Branne 
MoutoQ which has a similar aspect^ and is divided 
from Lafite by a narrow footpath, sells for one-third 
less. 

The vines are planted about three feet from one 
another ; and are supported on low frames, formed 
of upright props, about twelve inches high, and 
horizontal poles, on which the branches are allowed 
to extend. 

Of the districts of the Gironde that of Medoc is 
the most important of all for its extent, and the 
quality of its produce. These wines when of a good 
vintage are celebrated for a beautiful color, a violet 
perfume, much delicacy, and an extremely agreeable 
flavor ; they are strong without being heady, com- 



WINES OF FRANCE. 51 

forting without intoxicating, leave the breath pure, 
and the mouth cool. 

The number of wines classed in the department 
are very numerous, — those known by commerce and 
consumption in this country under the denomination 
of claret embrace the following, and may be divided 
into four classes. 

l8t growth. 2nd growth. 3rd growth. 4th growth. 

Chateau Lafite, Branne Monton, Batailley, St. Julien, 
Chateau Margaox, Leoyille, Becheyrille, St. Estephe, 

Chateau Latour, Larose, Langoa, &«. Cantenac, 

Chateau Haut Brion, Bauzan, &c. , St Emilion, dec . 

Chateau Lafite 

Is the most choice and delicate wine, and is cha- 
racterized by its silky softness on the palate, and its 
charming perfume, which partakes of the nature of 
the violet and raspbeny— it is %wine "that may 
have rivals but no superior." 

Chateau Margaux 

Has a sweet bouquet which perfumes the mouth ; 
it is lighter than the Lafite, possessing all its delicate 
qualities but not quite so high a flavor. 

Chateau Laixmr 

Has a fuller body, and at the same time a coc^ 
siderable aroma, but wants the softness of the Lafite. 

Haut Brum 
Has more spirit and body than any of the pre- 



52 WINES OF FRANCE. 

ceding, and requires a longer period to mature, tbe 
bouquet savors of the violet and raspberry, and the 
flavor resembles burning sealing wax. 

All the other growths partake to some extent 
the properties of the first growths in bouquet, deli- 
cacy, and flavor ; when new, these wines are some- 
what harsh and astringent, but in about five or six 
years they acquire an agreeable sofl;ness and flavor, — 
the maturity is generally influenced by the quality 
of the vintage, the wines of some years requiring a 
longer time to arrive at perfection than others. 

The excellence of the Medoc or Claret wines is 
distinguished all over the world, and they unques- 
tionably rank as the most perfect which France pro- 
duces, and keep extremely well. Though the quantity 
of alcohol which the finer sorts contain is inconsidera- 
ble, yet as the original fermentation is usually very 
complete, and th^subsequent management judicious, 
they are much less disposed to acidity, and other 
disorders, than the wines of Burgundy. The red 
growths are in great demand, and have always 
fetched higher prices than the white, although the 
latter generally speaking may be considered more 
genuine than the red wines, which are too ofl«n 
subjected to various processes by the merchants of 
Bordeaux, with the view of preparing and adapting 
them for particular markets; but this custom of 
helping the wine relates more particularly to the 
inferior growths. 



WINES OF FRANCE. 58 



GRAVE WHTTK WINES. 

Savieme 

Is considered the most superior of these growths ; 
it is a fine, delicate, fiavory wine, and in good years 
rich and perfumed. The Clos Yquem and Haut is 
esteemed the most Some of this wine has kept well 
for fifty years. 

Preignac 

Is reckoned equal to Sauteme, but with leas 
bouquet. 

Barsac^ Vtn de Qrave^ and PorUaCj 

Are excellent growths, although not much 
known; and well suited for table use. 

All these white wines keep very well, acquir- 
ing an amber color, and a very dry taste as they 
get old. 

The consumption of French wines in England 
is very trifling. This has been caused by the high 
duties imposed upon them, and to an erroneous 
notion of their being too cold for English stom- 
achs. By a comparison of the number of gallons 
of wine exported from France to diflferent countries 
in various years, it appeared, that in Holland the 
consumption of French wines is four times, and in 
Russia twice, that of England. It is also worthy of 
remark that long after the Methuen treaty, Scotland 
and Ireland, under the genial influence of low du- 



54 WINES OF FBANCE. 

ties, were still famous for Claret ; so erroneous is 
the vulgar opinion that it is a wine only suited for 
a warm climate. Home, the author of Douglass, in 
the following epigram, attributes the fiscal regula- 
tions, which introduced the heavier wine of Portu- 
gal into Scotland, to a settled design to break down 
the spirit of the people. 

" Finn and erect the Caledonian stood, 

Old was his mutton and his Claret good, 
*■ Let him drink Port,' the English statesman cried, 

He drank the poison, and his spirit died." 



Orand Summary of ike Wines of the GUronde, 

The red wines are divided into three great classes, each of 
which is subdivided into several sorts. 

Class 1 embraces the Medoc wines. 

Class 2 embraces the Grave, and St. Emilion. 

Class 3 embraces the common, or cargo wines. 

The first class is composed of the "grand eras,"* the "eras 
bourgeois," and the " eras ordinaires." 

The " grand crus " are fdrther distinguished as firsts^ seconds^ 
and thirds. 

The firsts are the wines of Chateau Margauz, Lafite, Latour, 
and Haut Brion. The latter is properly a Orave wine, but it is 
always classed among the first M edocs. 

The seconds are the wines of Rauzan, Leoville, Larose, Mouton, 
6<»:se, &c. 

The tHrdSf wines which arc produced by the vineyards touch- 
ing those above named, and which differ little in quality fVom 
them. 

The quantity of "grand crus" wine of the above description 

* " Cru " means, a vineyard— a particular spot in a vineyard — 
Vine land generally. 



WINKS OF FHiNCE. 66 

does not esMed 8,000 tniu, and seUa from J.flOOf. to 4,000f. per Inn 
on Uu Ues. 

The "cms bonrgeoia" coniiBta of the superior Margans, St. 
Jnlien, PaDillao, St. Eatephe, &c Quantity estimated about 2,000 
tniu, and prices on the lees 800r. to l.SOOT per tun. 

The "cms ordinaires" eell at SOOf. to TOOf., accordinf to tlie 
year and the qiial[tf . Qnantjty 2S,000 to Sfi.OOO tnna. 

Tbe whole produce of Midoc is therefore abont 40,000 tuns. 

The "grand cms" and "cnu bourgeois" require four years , 
care and preparation, before delivery for um, or for exportation : 
and this augmenta their price from 80 to 35 per cent. 

The xeend class is composed of the red wines of Grave and St. 
EmUiim, irhich are in greater quantity, and amongst them some 
of a very superior quality, that are generally bought for mixing 
with Medoc. The first quality of thesa wines sells ftvm 800f. to 
l,800f. per tun. The secMid qualities trma S00£ to OOOf. 

Tha t/tird class consists of the common or cai^ trines. the 
greater part of which are consumed in the country, or converted 
into brandy. The portion exported is sent off during the year 
of its growth. Prices from 160r. to 200r. per tim. 

The white wines of the first "cms" such as Haut Sauteme, 
Hant Barsac, Preignac, Beanmes, are only fit for use at the end of 
four or six years, and for exportation at the end of one or tvo 
years more. Prices on the lees range Arom SOOf. to l,&00f per 

The " grand cms " of white Grave, St. Brijs, Carbonienx, Z>u- 
lamon. &c., sell In good years from 500r. to SOOf. 

The inferior white wines sell from IBOf, to 400f. per tun. 

The merchants in general purchase up the finest crus as soon 
as sufficientiy advanced to judge of their character; or more fVe- 
qnenUy they are bought up for a series of years, whether good or 
liad. They are transported to their ceUus or "chais" in Bor- 
deaux, so situated and protected by snrropnding houses, as to 
preserve a tolerably eqnable temperature throughout theyeari 
and In these they ripen and undergo all the diOerent processes of 
filing, racking, mixing, &c. considered necessai? to adapt them 
to Vb» diObrent tastes of the foreign consumers. 

The grand crus of a superior year are employed to bring up 
the quality of one or two bad years, so that it is easy to conceive, 
that the fomous wines of 1811, and of the years 181&, 1619, 1826, 



56 WINES OF FRANCE. 

1884, 1841, and 1844, are not speedily exhausted. Some houses * 
keep their wines pore ; bnt the practice of mixing is, at any rate. 
Tery general. 

The purchase of the wines, whether from the grower or mer- 
chant, is always effected throngh brokers, some of whom have 
acquired a reputation for accuracy in dissecting the different fla- 
yers, and in tracing the results of the wines by certain measures 
of training or treatment. 

Great Britain takes off about one half of the highest priced 
Medoc wines, and very little of any other quality. Except in 
Bordeaux itself, there is but a very moderate portion of the supe- 
rior Medoc consumed in France. The capital takes off only 
second, third, and fourth rate wines. Holland is the largest for- 
eign consumer, after which the United States and Russia. Most 
of the wines for the English market are reinforced with the strong 
ftall-bodied and high-flavored wines of the Rhone, sudi as Hermi- 
tage, C6te Rotle, and Croze— -especially the first, by which means 
they are hardly cognizable by the Medoc flavor. 



CHAMPAGNE. 

From a very remote period Champagne appears 
to have been generally appreciated, and is not leas 
distinguished for its exhilarating vinous properties, 
than its interesting historical reminiscences. The 
growths of Epemay, and Haut Yilliers are spoken 
of during the thirteenth century, and that of Ay 
about the fifteenth century ; when more generally 
known the wines rose into high estimation, and be- 
came, as Paulmier observed, the ordinary beverage 
of kings and princes. 

It appears to have been a favorite wine with the 
crowned heads of Europe at a very early period, as 
ve learn that Henry VIII. of England, Francis L 



WINES OF FRANCE. 67 

of France, Charles V. of Spain, and Pope Leo X. 
had each of them a commissioner, who resided at 
Ay for the purpose of securing a supply of the 
best wine of each vintage. 

In the year 1397, Vincelaus, king of Bohemia, 
came to France to negotiate a treaty with Charles 
VI. ; arrived at Bheims he became so fascinated with 
the wine as to prolong his departure to the latest 
moment, foregoing every other consideration in 
order to indulge in the sensual enjoyment of getting 
drunk on Champagne daily before dinner. 

Champagne reached its highest perfection and 
estimation about the year 1610, at the coronation of 
Louis XIIL, and has ever since been considered the 
most celebrated of all the French wines ; it long 
disputed the palm of excellence with Burgundy. 
The respective merits of these two wines were a mat- 
ter of disputation with the faculty of medicine for 
a very lengthened period, till in 1778 a decision was 
pronounced in favor of Champagne. 

The soil on which the Champagne wines are 
grown is, for the most part, composed of calcareous 
loam, mingled with stones near the surface; the 
vines are trained very low, seldom allowed to rise 
more than eighteen inches, and are planted at the 
same distance asunder. 

The Champagne districts furnish many excellent 
wines, both red and white, which do not effervesce ; 
but by the term Champagne is generally understood 
a sparkling or frothing liquor, subjected to an im- 
perfect fermentation, and containing a quantity of 



58 WINES OP FRANCBJ. 

carbonic acid gas, that has been generated daring 
the insensible fermentation in bottle, and is disen- 
gaged on removing the pressure by whicH it is re- 
tained in solution. 

The department of the Marne is that in which 
the most celebrated of these wines are made; in 
quality and quantity these "vineyards of the river" 
excel all the others. 

Champagne may be divided into three descrip- 
tions : Still (non mousseux) ; Creaming (cremans, or 
demimousseux); High Sparkling (grand mousseux); 
and there is a great diflFerence in the flavor and 
quality of the kinds^ as well as in the produce of 
different vineyards. 

SilUry^ Sec, or Still {non mousseux), 

Is produced from the vineyards of Verzenay, 
Mailly and Baumont, which are situated at the north 
east termination of the chain of hills that separates 
the Marne from the Vesle, and belonged, formerly, to 
the Marquis of SiUery, from whence its name. It 
was originally brought into notice by the peculiar 
care bestowed on the manufacture of it by the 
Marechale dCEstrSes, it was long known by the name 
of Vin de la Marechale. 

It is universally admitted to be the best of the 
Still wines, and the most enduring. It is dry, of a 
light amber color, has a considerable body and a 
charming aroma ; " Le corps'^ (says M. JuUien), " ks 
spiritueuXj lacharmant bovquet, et les vertus taniques dont 
il est pourvu lui assurent la prioritS sur toiLS les autresJ^ 



WINES OF FRANCE. 69 

*' The body, the spirit, the charming bouquet, and 
the tonic properties with which it is gifted, insure 
its superiority over all others." The grapes are sub- 
jected to less pressure, and the fermentation more 
perfect than that of any other species, for Y^hich 
reason it is considered one of the most wholesome 
of the Champagne wines. It has always been in 
much request in England, probably on account of 
its superior strength and durable quality. It is uni- 
versally drunk iced. 

Oreaming or Ay {demi moiLSseitx). 

The Ay Champagne is grown on a calcareous 
declivity, open to the south, at the foot of which 
runs the Marne, from Bisseul to the borders of the 
department of Aisne. 

Yenner speaks of thi? wine as far excelling all 
other kinds, and confines the use of it to the kings 
and peers of France. Beaudius formed so high an 
opinion of it, that he declared to the President de 
Thou it ought to be called vinum Dei, It is unques- 
tionably an exquisite wine, being lighter and sweeter 
than the Sillery, and accompanied by a delicate fla- 
vor and aroma^ somewhat anaolgous to that of the 
pine-apple : it merely creams on the surface (demi 
mousseux), is considered superior to the full froth- 
ing wine (grand mousseux), and keeps better ; on 
being drawn it sends up bubbles of carbonic acid 
gas to the surface, but never froths. Being bright, 
clear and sparkling, it is as pleasing to the eye as it 
is grateful to the palate. 



60 WINES OF PRAl^OE. 



tt 



Cernis micanti concolor nt vitro 

Latex in aaris, gemmeus aspici, 
Scintillet ezaltim ; utque dulces. 

Naribns illecebras propinet 
Succi latentis proditor habitns ! 

Ut spnma motu lactea turbido 
Crystallinum Intia referre 

Mox occolia properit nitorem." 

* Coffin, Ode Aleaic. 



A fbuntain brilliant as a star, 
Sparkles into joyous life, 

Bright as morning's rosy car, 
Chasing every shade of strife. 



Sweet scented comes the morning airs, 
Brisk tasted comes the cheering tide, 

Bright creamy foam dispelled declares 
Sweet Joys with man will hence abide ! 



The crystal juice opes all man-s heart, 
Of hidden thought the secret mine, 

All grief and sorrow soon depart, 
For man is blessed with joyous wine. 



The Still and Oreaming or Ay wines admit of 
no mediocrity — if not really first-rate they have 
nothing to recommend them beyond any ordinary 
growth ; but when the produce of a good year, and 
made from the choicest grapes of the best vineyards, 
they stand unrivalled. The Still wine carries a 
striking aromatic flavor of Champagne not found in 
the Sparkling. Nearly the whole of the Sillery and 



WIKE8 OF FBANCE. 61 

Creaming wines go to Paris and London ; they are 
seldom imported into this country. 

High Sparkling {grand motisseux), 

Is produced from nearly all the vineyards in the 
Champagne districts; Bheims and Epernay, Ay, 
Mareuil, Dizy, Hautvilliers and Cumi^res, Bouzy, 
Verzy, Verzenay, and many others ; it is a wine not 
only the most popular in this country, but through- 
out the entire civilized world; it possesses the same 
bouquet as the Creaming, and much of the flavor ; 
but a good deal of the strength of the wine evapor- 
ates in the gas. 

It is well to remark that the briskest of the 
Champagne wines are not always the best. They 
are of course the most defective in the vinous 
quality; and the small portion of alcohol which 
they contain, immediately escapes from the froth as 
it rises on the surface, carrying with it the aroma, 
and leaving the wine in the glass nearly vapid ; for 
it has been shown by Humboldt that when the 
froth is collected under a bell-glass surrounded with 
ice, the alcohol becomes condensed on the sides of the 
vessel by the operation of the cold. Hence the Still, 
or the Creaming, or the slightly sparkling Cham- 
pagne wines, are'more highly valued by connoisseurs, 
and fetch higher prices than the full frothing wines. 

There is an exquisite delicacy about the wines of 
Champagne, a peculiar aroma which leaves an agree- 
able after-taste; together with the "bouquet" or 



62 WINBS OF FBAKGl. 

perAime which constitutes the distingaishing cha- 
racteristics in the fine qualities. The French have 
terms for distinguishing different qualities in their 
wines, some of which cannot be translated ; but the 
term " delicate" or " fine," as applied to the wines 
of Champagne, is pretty intelligible to those who 
are drinkers of French wines. 

A knowledge of the true taste and bouquet of 
Champagne in its genuine state, is absolutely neces- 
sary to form a correct judgment ; and these quali- 
ties are so marked in the* wine, that a taste by no 
means first-rate in goodness may easily detect the 
wine which is deficient in them. The appearance of 
effervescence is no test in respect to quality; he who 
cannot discover the real wine of Champagne by the 
bouquet and flavor may as well drink any other 
species of effervescing liquid. The aroma, bouquet 
and flavor of Champagne has never yet been imitat- 
ed with success. Although good Champagne is one 
of the wholesomest wines, cheap and bad Cham- 
pagnes are more than commonly pernicious and very 
injurious to the stomach. Every connoisseur in 
Champagne will select wine of a moderate efferves- 
cence, and such wine always carries the best price. 
When the glass is entirely filled with fi:oth, on pour- 
ing out the contents of the bottle, the better qualities 
of the wine and spirit evaporate. The quantity of 
spirit in Champagne, as we have seen, is but small, 
and the residue is a flat, meagre liquid. 



WINB8 OF FRAKCK. 68 

Manufa/cture of Champagne. 

In no country is the art of wine-making so well 
understood as in France, and being a commodity 
which it is impossible to equal except in a soil and 
temperature of exactly the same character, it is im- 
probable this country will be excelled by any other 
in her staple product. The following is an account 
of the process of making, and treatment of the wines 
of Champagne. 

For the manufacture of the white Champagne 
wines, black grapes are generally used. They ripen 
more easily, and resist the frost and rains common 
about the time of the vintage much better than the 
white sorts. Hence the wines which are made from 
them alone, or from a mixture of the two, are not 
so liable to degenerate as those prepared from white 
grapes only. They are picked with great care; 
those which are unripe, being rejected: they are 
gathered in the morning while the dew is wet upon 
them ; and it is remarked, that when the weather 
happens to be foggy at the time of the vintage, the 
produce of the fermentation is considera'bly increased. 
They are then subjected to a rapid pressure, which 
is generally finished in an hour. The wine obtained 
from this first pressure is called vin d^ilite^ and is 
always kept apart from the rest ; that from the sec- 
ond or subsequent pressure vin de tailkj and the last 
or third tisanne. The liquor procured by these suc- 
cessive pressings is collected as it fiows, in small 
vats, from whicH it is removed, early on the follow- 



64 WINES OF FRAKGE. 

ing day, into puncheons which have been previously 
sulphured. In these the must undergoes a brisk 
fermentation, and is allowed to remain till towards 
the end of December ; when it becomes bright. It 
is then racked and fined with isinglass, and in a 
month or six weeks more, is racked and fined a 
second time. In the month of March it is put into 
bottle. After it has been about six weeks in bottle 
it becomes brisk, and towards Autumn the fermen- 
tation is often so powerful as to occasion a consider- 
able loss by the bursting of the bottles ; but after 
the first year such accidents rarely happen. A 
sediment however is generally formed on the lower 
side of the bottle, which it becomes necessary to re- 
move, especially if the wIdc be intended for expor- 
tation ; this is accomplished by a peculiar manipu- 
lation termed cPegorgement, the sediment being 
allowed to settle in the neck of the bottle, from 
which it is forced out, on drawing the cork. These 
operations and the loss sustained by them, and by 
the bursting of bottles, which is seldom less than 
twenty per cent., and often much more, necessarily 
enhance the price of the wine. The Sillery wines 
are kept in the wood from one to three years before 
they are bottled. 

In order to procure thp wine known J^y the 
designation of Pink Champagne (vin rose), the 
grapes are slightly trodden and freed from the stalks, 
and the fermentation is allowed to commence before 
they are subjected to the press, in order to facilitate 
the solution of the coloring matter. Aftier this the 



.\ 



' Vines of France. 66 

process is managed in the same way as with white 
wines. The Pink Champagne has always been in 
less request than the colorless, and has in fact noth- 
ing to entitle it to a preference. An inferior sort is 
made by adding a few drops of a liquor obtained 
flx)m the decoction of elder berries with cream of 
tartar. 

The Champagne wines, when well made and 
placed in cool cellars, will retain their good qualities 
from ten to twenty years. The creaming wine of 
Ay has been known to keep and continue to improve, 
even for a longer period ; acquiring only that slight 
bitterness which characterizes all old wines. The 
vaults in which they are stored, at Rheims, Epemay, 
Avize, &c., are excavated in a rock of calcareous tu& 
to the depth of thirty or forty feet, the thermometer 
generally indicating a temperature of about 50^ 
Fahrenheit, and the variation from winter to sum- 
mer seldom exceeding one degree. 

It would be useless to particularize every variety 
of wine pi^uced in Champagne. Some classes are 
too meagre to attract the notice of foreigners^ while 
others will not bear exportation. It suffices to re- 
mark that in no spot on the globe is the art of mak- 
ing wine of such a delicate fiavor so well understood, 
and thait the great pains taken, and the labor requi- 
site to bring it to perfection, added to the loss in the 
process of effervescence, and not the scarcity of the 
grape, as some pretend, are the causes of the high 
price of the wines in comparison with other sorts. 
In truth they are an article of very highly finished 

manufacture. 
5 



66 WINBS OF FBANCA. 



BURGUNDY. 

The Burgundy wines are produced in the great' 
est variety, abundance and excellence, in the de- 
partments of the Cote d'Or, Sadne and Loire, knoym 
in former times under the appellation of Upper and 
Lower Burgundy. 

The soils on which these valuable wines are 
grown, consist, in general, of a light black or red 
loam, mixed with the dSbris of the calcareous rocks 
on which they repose. The vines are planted in 
trenches at the distance of about two feet apart, and 
are trained on poles to the height of thirty or forty 
inches. 

It is to the superior skill with which the cultiva- 
tion of the vines and fermentation of the grapes are 
managed, that the highly generous quality of the 
wines is to be ascribed. The truth of this obser- 
vation will become more apparent from the history 
of some of the most celebrated growths of this pro- 
vince. The wine of Beaune, for example, which 
for many centuries was considered the most choice 
of all, and the enjoyment of which, if we may credit 
the insinuation of Petbaroh, was one of the motives 
which tended to prolong the residence of the papal 
court at Avignon, must now be placed in the second 
rank ; while the Boman^e Oonti, which formerly 
was in no great repute, has become one of the most 
precious growths of Upper Burgundy, in conse- 
quence of the improvement in its manufacture. 



WINBS OF FRANCE. 67 

Ab the chief excellence of thQ wines of this dis- 
trict consists in the fulness of their flavor and bou- 
quet^ it is obvious that the fermentation should be 
conducted with a view to the most complete preser- 
vation of the aroma ; and it may be also added, that 
fix>m the same cause none of the finer £urgund j 
wines will bear removal except in bottle, and even 
in bottle they are apt to deteriorate, unless they are 
kept with the greatest care. 

In this country, we have in general a very im- 
perfect idea of the great variety and excellence of 
the wines which this province produces, as it is cus- 
tomary to comprehend them all under the generic 
term, Burgundy; and as the prime growths are con- 
fined to a few &vored vineyards, and are in great re- 
quest in their own country, it is evident that but a 
small portion of them can ever come into this market 
The inferior produce of the vineyards are often ex- 
ported under the denomination of the best, to those 
countries where the value cannot be realized for the 
first growths, nor their qualities duly appreciated ; 
and, indeed, the practice in question is notorious, 
not only in Burgundy, but in all parts of the world 
where wine forms an article of commerce. 

The most celebrated of these wines are the 
Boman^ Oonti, Boman^e St. Yivant, Glos Yougeot, 
Chambertin, Bichebourgh, Tache, and St. George. 
The three first, 

Bomanie Cbntij HomanSe SL Yivant^ Olos Yougeot^ 
Are distinguished by their beautiful color, exqui- 



! 



68 WINES OF FRANCE. 

site flavor and bouquet— oombining in a greater de- 
gree than any other wines, the qualitieB of lightness 
and delicacy with richness and fulness of body. In 
common with the other growths they have a peculiar 
yinous pungency, which may be occasionally per- 
ceived in some of the more perfect Italian and Span- 
ish red wines, but which, at the same time, is alto- 
gether distinct from the sharpness that belongs to 
the vinipiccanti^ properly so called ; the latter being 
of a more acidulous nature. 

Ohambertin. 

This ranks next in order, and is the produce of 
the vineyard of that name, situated seven miles to 
the south of Dijon, and about sixty-five acres in ex- 
tent ; it has a fuller body and a greater durability 
than the Boman^e, with an aroma nearly as fragrant 
Louis XIV, is said to have been partial to this, 
and it is mentioned as having been also the favorite 
wine of Napoleon. 

Richdxmrgh^ Tache, and St Oeorge^ 

Approach to the Ohambertin in their most essen- 
tial qualities ; and when made in favorable seasons 
keep remarkably well. The St. G-eorge was extol- 
led by the champion of the Burgundy wines in the 
controversy referred to, as a wine that had not an 
equal and could not be sufficiently esteemed ; and it is 
reported to have owed its high repute principally to 
the circumstance of having been prescribed as a re- 



WIKSS OF F&AKCX. 69 

storatiye to Loais XIY. in the illnefis with which 
he was seized in 1680. 

Vins de Primeur 

Belong to the second class of the fine red wines of 
this district Of these, the Yolnaj and Pomard are 
the principal; the former being characterized by its 
light and grateful aroma and delicate tint — ^the latter 
haying more body and color. They are both pro- 
duced in the neighborhood of Beaune. 

Some of the Macon wines, in point of strength 
and durability, are superior to the second class Bur* 
gundy ; others of them are much esteemed for their 
delicacy, sprightliness, and agreeable flavor. 

There is an infinite variety in the wines of Bur- 
gundy which a foreigner can hardly comprehend. 
Accustomed to wines less delicate than intoxicating, 
his feivorite beverage is chosen more for strength 
than perfection of flavor. 

Although \t has been previously observed that 
these wines owe their generous quaJities, in a great 
measure, to the skill and care bestowed upon the 
cultivation of the vine, and the fermentation of the 
grape, yet it must be admitted that the secret excel- 
lence of Burgundy very much depends upon un- 
known qualities in the soil, which are developed 
only in particular places, often in the same vineyard, 
at all events within a very narrow district. While 
much is owing to climate and aspect, it is evident 
that the peculiar characteristics of Burgundy depend 
least upon the art and labor of man, since wines 



70 wnnes of frakce. 

inferior in quality receive as much or more of his at- 
tention than the former. 

Bargundj is a wine not less celebrated for its in- 
comparable qualities, its exquisite delicacy of flavor, 
and its charming bouquet, than the uncertainty with 
which it retains them. Sometimes it preserves its 
excellence unimpaired for many years ; at others, it 
becomes insipid, vapid, discolored and decomposed 
in as many months. Any sudden change in temper- 
ature is particularly inimical to this wine, which 
should always be preserved in a cool not a cold eel- | 

lar ; and, for the same reason, it should be trans- 
ported from one country to another, in very tempe- 
rate weather, the thermometer ranging betweien 50^ 
and 60°. 

I 

WHITE BURGUNDY. 

The white wines of Burgundy are less numer- 
ous, and consequently less generally known than 
the others, but they maintain the ' highest rank 
among French white wines, and are not inferior to 
the red either in aroma or flavor. 

Mont'Sicichet 

Is the most distinguished, is deemed the most 
perfect, and surpasses all the other white wines of 
France by its delicious flavor and exquisite perfume. 
It is known by the several names of TAine, le 
Chevalier, and le Batard ; of which the last sells for 
only one third the price of the first. Yet these three 
qualities are produced from vineyards, which are 



WINES OF FRANCS. 71 

only separated from one another by a footpath; 
which have the same exposure, and apparently the 
same soil ; on which the same species of vines are 
cultivated; and which are managed in every respect 
precisely in the same manner. 

MeursaU, Ofiabli^, PouiUy, Faissy^ and QoutU 
d^Or^ are all excellent wines, and approach more or 
less to the first growth. 

Dispute as to the comparative merits of Champagne 

and Burgundy. 

During the reign of Louis XIV. a controversy 
arose in the Schools, in consequence of a candidate 
for medical honors choosing to maintain in his in- 
augural thesis, that the wines of Burgundy were 
preferable to those of Champagne, and that the lat- 
ter were irritating to the nerves, and productive of 
dangerous disorders, but particularly of gout Such 
an opinion finding adherents, could not fail to 
produce a considerable sensation, especially in the 
province most interested in the decision of the 
question. The faculty of medicine at Bheims ac- 
cordingly took up the defence of the Champagne 
wines, eulogizing their purity and brightness of 
oolor, their exquisite flavor and perfume, their great 
durability, and their general superiority to the 
growths of Burgundy. This attack on the merit 
of the latter produced a rejoinder from the pen of a 
professer of the college of Beaune ; and a regular 
paper war was commenced in verse as well as in 



72 WINES OF FRAKGB. 

m 

prose, which was nrged with much warmth on both 
sides, according to the respective interests, tastes, or 
fimcies of the combatants. The celebrated Charles 
Coffin, rector of the university of Beauvais, pub- 
lished during this controversy the classical ode 
partly quoted at page 60, in which Champagne is 
eulogized, and its superiority vindicated, with a 
spirit, vivacity, and delicacy, worthy of the theme. 
The citizens of Bheims were not ungrateful to the 
poet; but liberally rewarded him with an appropri- 
ate and munificent donation of the wine he had so 
happily panegyrized. Gr^nau wrote an ode in 
praise of Burgundy ; but unlike its subject it was 
flat and insipid, and failed to procure any recom- 
pense to its author — the discussion was continued at 
intervals until the year 1778, when in a thesis defend- 
ed before the faculty of Medicine of Paris, a verdict 
was ultimately pronounced in favor of Champagne. 
It is however sufficiently certain, that the 
growths of Burgundy must, in some respects, be 
considered as the more perfect of the two. In rich- 
ness of flavor and perfume, and all the more deli- 
cate qualities of the juice of the grape, they un- 
questionably rank as the first in the world ; and it 
was not without reason that the dukes of Burgundy 
in former times were designated as the ^^princes des 
bona vins,''^ M. Jullien is not less decided : " Le vin 
des premiers cms, JarsquHlsprommnentd^une bonne an- 
nSe, reunissent, dans dejustes proportions, toutes les quai- 
itis qui constituent les vins parfaits ; ils nHont besoin 
d^aucun mSkmge, d'aucunepr^ratianpour attendre leur 



WINES OF FRANCS. 78 

pltts haut degr6 de perfection, Oes operations^ que Von 
qualifie dans certains pays de soins qui aident d la 
qualHSj sont ixngoiirs nuisibles avx vine de BourgogneJ^ 
*' Wines of the first grade when thej are the produce 
of a good year, unite all the qualities that constitute 
perfect wines, and require no mixture or preparation 
to enable them to attain the highest degree of perfec- 
tion. Those operations, which are termed in certain 
countries helps to improve the quality, are always 
detrimental to Burgundy wine." 

Erasmus attributes the restoration of his health 
to his having drunk liberally of Burgundy ; and 
has eulogized it in the most extravagant terms. 
An epistle of his quoted by Le Grand d'Aussy, 
shows that Falstaff and he could have spent an 
evening together less disagreeably than might have 
been supposed : Le premier qui enseigna, I'art de 
fidre ce vin (Bourgogne), ou qui en fit presdnt, ne 
doit-il point passer plutdt pour nous avoit donnd la 
vie que pour nous avoir gratifi^ d'une liqueur! 
'' Ought not the man who first taught us the art by 
which this wine might be prepared, rather claim 
the merit of having given us life than of contribu- 
ting a wine to our sources of gratification ?" 



HSBMITAOE. 



On the granite hill, which rises to an elevation 
of five or six hundred feet, immediately behind the 
town of Tain^ on the left bank of the Rhone, and 



74 WINES OF FRANCE. 

twelve miles from Yalence, are the famoas vine- 
yards of the Hermitage. Nothing can be finer than 
the exposure ; as the whole of the slope faces the 
south, and with the exception of the east side of the 
ravine, enjoys the full benefit of the sun's rays during 
the greater part of the day. The inclination however 
is so steep, that it has been found necessary to form 
part of it into terraces. 

Tradition says that an inhabitant of the town of 
Condrieu determined to turn hermit, and established 
his cell on an uncultivated hill near Tain. He 
amused his leisure hours by breaking the stones and 
rocks to pieces which surrounded his dwelling, and 
planting among them some vine slips from Con- 
drieu : they succeeded to admiration. His example 
was copied by others, and the sterile hill side was 
soon converted into a vineyard. Thus in some in- 
stances are we indebted to the erroneous and ascetic 
habits of men for some of the choicest delicacies of 
the taste. 

Red Hermitage when genuine is distinguished 
by its full body, dark purple color, and exquisite 
flavor and perfume, which is not inaptly compared 
to the raspberry — it requires to be kept eight or ten 
years in cask before it is sufficiently matured, and 
nearly a similar length of time in bottle in order to 
develop its more delicate qualities. . It is asserted 
that the grape from which this wine is made was 
originally brought from Schiraz in Persia, by one 
of the Hermits of Bessas. 



WINES OF FBAKCB. 75 

White Sermiiage. 

This wine is made from white grapes only, and 
is one of the finest white wines France produces. 
Its odor is like that of no other wine ; it keeps much 
longer than the red, even to the extent of a century, 
without the least deterioration. It is a delicate wine, 
possessing much spirit and richness of body, a pow- 
erfol aroma, and a peculiar flinty taste, and the 
bouquet or perfume is perfect. It would appear 
that it abounds in mucous or extractive matter ; for 
when exposed to the air it quickly changes color 
and acquires an unpleasant flavor. 

Chateau Orillett 

Is a delicious white wine grown in the same vi- 
cinity ; it is not so strong as the Hermitage. 

G5te Bdtie. 

This is a red wine grown on the southern de- 
clivity of the hill to the west of Ampujis, on the 
right bank of the Rhone, seven leagues from Lyons ; 
it resembles Hermitage, and ranks as one of the 
first red wines of France, possessing good body, 
flavor, and a bouquet similar to the sweet odor of 
the violet. 

BormUon 

Is a red wine, distinguished by its great body and 
color, and is generally regarded as the strongest and 
most durable of any that France produces. Hence 



76 WINBS OF FRANCE. 

it is mucli used for distillation, and for strengthen- 
ing the lighter growths of the Bordelais. 



VINS DE LIQUEUR — SWEET OR MUSCADINE WINES. 

Rivesaltes 

Is considered the best muscadine wine, not only 
in France but perhaps in the whole world ; for it is 
much more perfect of its kind than many others to 
which an undue degree of excellence is ascribed, 
merely because they come to us from a greater dis- 
tance, and are remarkable for their rarity and cost- 
liness. When sufficiently matured by age, it is of a 
bright golden color, and has an oily smoothness, a 
fragrant aroma, and a delicate flavor of the quince, by 
which it is distinguished firom all other sweet wines. 

Frontignoui 

Is remarkable for the strong flavor of the grape 
from which it is obtained. When the wine is old, the 
taste of the fruit becomes less perceptible, but the 
flavor continues always exceedingly luscious. The 
aroma has been compared ta that of the elder-berry. 

Lund 

Is a very delicate wine of a bright pale color, with 
a less distinct flavor of the grape, and less cloying 
than the Frontignac, and is esteemed one of the most 
delicious and favorite of the sweet wines. 



WIKBS or FRANCK. 77 

Vin de PaiUe^ 

A luscious, agreeable, and stomachic wine, made 
from the ripest grapes, which are hung up, or spread 
upon straw, for six or eight weeks, or until they be- 
come half dried. From the mode of preparation it 
has received the name of straw wine (yin de paille). 
In flavor and aroma it very closely resembles the 
best Gonstantia. 

ST. FERAI. 

These wines are grown on the banks of the 
Ehone, nearly opposite to Valence. They are de- 
cidedly the best growths of Languedoc, and are 
characterized by their delicacy and sprightliness, 
and a flavor that partakes of the odor of the violet. 
When bottled in the spring following the vintage, 
they sparkle and froth like the wines of Champagne. 



VIN DE GABDB. 

The best of these white wines are produced at 
Chfiteau Chalons; red is also made at the same 
place, and at Mdnetru and Frontenay ; the eflerves- 
cing at Etoile and Quintigny ; they are seldom or 
never exported. The white wines de garde, or wines 
for keeping, as it may be rendered, are made of the 
best white grapes, from the mtist of a single pres- 
sure. As it comes from the press the mitst is put 



78 WINES OF FRANCE. 

up in veij strong iron-bound casks. The bung is 
made as close as possible, and they cover it with 
linen soaked in oil, over which are placed fine ashes 
well pressed down. The wine is racked twice at 
the end of eight or ten months from the vintage. 
After this the cask is left without closing or filling 
up for ten or twelve years, when the wine is bottled, 
and improves the longer it is kept. 



CHAPTER VIU. 

OP THE WINES OF SPAIN. 

THB GLXMATB AHD POSITION OF SPAIN RENDBR ITS NATURAL AD- 
VANTAGES UNFARALLELED—NON-AFFLICATION OF SCIENCE TO 
THE MANUFACTUBB OF WINE PREVENTS HER BEING THE .FIRST 
WINE COUNTRY IN THE WORLD— SHERRY OR XEREZ — ^AM ONTIL* 
LADO— VINODE PASTO — ^MANZANELLA — OLOROSA — SACK — ^PAXA- 
RBTTA — ^PBQRO XDfENEZ — ^LAGRIMA DE MALAGO— TBNT — ^VAL 
DB PBNA8 — ^BBNI CARLOS — lUJORCA AND MINORCA. 

Emulating France in some of her richest growths, 
and in the abundant produce of her vineyards, 
Spain has long occupied a prominent place among 
the wine countries of Europe. The range of moun- 
tains that overlook the extensive coasts, and bound 
the principal rivers of the peninsula, present the 
happiest exposures, and every variety of soil for the 
cultivation of the vine; and the warmth of the 
climate insures to its fruit an early and perfect ma- 
turity. Hence in all those districts where a gSod 
system of management prevaUs, the vintages are dis- 
tinguished by their high flavor and aroma, as well 
as by their strength and durability : in others these 
natural advantages are lost by adherence to erro- 



80 WINES OF SPAIN. 

neous modes of treatment The red wines in par- 
ticular are often spoiled in the fermentation, and 
generally speaking, are dull and heavy on the pal- 
ate. In that class, the Spaniards can boast of but 
one wine which will bear comparison with the more 
delicate growths of France ; but in the preparation 
of dry white wines, and certain species of sweet 
wines, they stand nearly unrivalled ; and the trade 
in them, which they cany on with all parts of the 
world, is a constant stimulus to industry, and a 
never-failing source of wealth to the more populous 
provinces of the kingdom. 

In estimating the general character of the wines 
of any country, considerable allowance must be 
made for the prevailing tastes and habits of the na- 
tives, as well as the disadvantages in respect of in- 
ternal commerce under which they may labor. The 
Spaniard, when he drinks wine as an article of lux- 
ury, gives the preference to such as is rich and 
sweet Hence he is disposed to rate the growths of 
Malaga more highly than those of Xerez, which, how- 
ever, are the most perfect, and most generally es- 
teemed by other nations. The great abundance too 
in which wine is everywhere produced, makes him 
careless of obtaining a particular supply ; or, if he 
were inclined to take any pains about it, the diffi- 
cAty of conveyance, and want of proper convenien- 
ces for keeping it, would, in general, prevent him 
£rom indulging his wish. Hence, when not supplied 
from his own vineyard, he commonly remains de- 
pendent on the next tavern for what may be requir- 



WINES OP SPAIN. 81 

ed for family use, and must be content with such 
new and indifferent wine as the vintner may choose 
to send him. It is also worthy of remark, that 
throughout many parts of Spain, the peasantry store 
the produce of their vintage in skins, which are 
smeared with pitch, from which the wine is apt to 
contract a peculiar disagreeable taste, called the ohr 
de botOj and to become muddy and nauseous. Bottles, 
casks and subterraneous wine cellars are rarely met 
with, except iu the monasteries and great commer- ' 
cial towns. Under such management, we cannot be 
surprised that the common Spanish wines should 
fall so far short of the excellence that might be an- 
ticipated from the favorable circumstances in which 
they are grown ^ or that the traveller in the midst 
of the most luxurious vineyards, should often find 
the manufiKstured produce wholly unfit for use. 

The most celebrated and perfect wines of Spain, 
are the Sherries grown in the province of Andalusia, 
and the district of Xerez de la Frontera; the vine- 
yards extend over a tract of country forty-five miles 
in length and eighteen in breadth, and the wines 
become inferior as the vineyards recede from this 
point. The best wines produced are grown upon a 
soil which chiefly consists of carbonate of lime, with 
a small admixture of silex and clay, and occasionally 
magnesia. Many of the principal vineyards are in 
the hands of British and French settlers, and to this 
circumstance it may not, perhaps, be unfair to attri- 
bute the improvement which has of late years taken 
place in this wine. 
6 



82 WINKS OF 8PAIK. 

The most renownei. pagos or wine districts lie in 
the inunediate boundary of Xerez, and include 
Machamudo, Carrascal, Los Tercios^ Barbiana, 
Afiina, San Julian, Mochiele, Caraola and Oruz del 
Husillo ; the struggle and competition for their pos- 
session is so great that they are divided, sub-divided 
and sold occasionally at most extravagant prices. 



SHERRY OR XEREZ. 

The wine is called Sherry, being an English cor- 
ruption of the word Xerez, to render the pronuncia- 
tion more &cile. 

This wine is made £rom red and white grapes in- 
discriminately. They are gathered as they become 
ripe, and are spread .on mats to dry. At the expi- 
ration of two or three days, they are freed from the 
stalks and picked, those that are unripe or rotten 
being rejected. 

The varieties of the wine are produced by the 
dijGferent modes of treating it; the best pale Sherry 
is made from the very finest grapes. Those that are 
pale, or very pale, are chiefly owing to the diflference 
in the ripeness of the fruit ; the various grades of 
color are obtained by the addition of boiled wine, 
in such proportion as is deemed requisite for the 
purpose. ' 

Fine pure Sherry should be pale or amber in 
color, devoid of sweetness, of a dry flavor, fine aro- 
matic odor, with some degree of the agreeable bit- 



WINXS OF SPAIN. 8S 

terness of the peach kernel, termed nuttj ; delicacy 
and softness, firmness and durability, with absence 
of acidity, are the distinguishing characteristics of 
this wine of a high grade. 

Amontillado 

Is a superior dry Sherry of accidental produce, 
and quite a phenomenon in wine making, as no 
grower can be certain by what grape it will be pro- 
duced or from what treatment it may be obtained ; 
and it is singular that, of one hundred casks from 
the same vineyard, some of them will be Amontil- 
lado without the grower being able to account for 
it ; it has a strong flavor of oenanthic ether. Not 
one drop of brandy can be added to genuine Amon- 
tillado, and it allows of no foreign mixture whatever. 
It is invariably pale and brilliant. 

Vino de Pasto, 

An extremely delicate high flavored wine, par- 
taking somewhat of the character of Amontillado ; 
and possessing the same peculiarity in respect to its 
origin ; Jt is not quite so dry, but more palatable, 
and reckoned a superior dinner wine. 

• ManzaniUa^ 

Galled also vino delpais^ is a light wine of a pale 
color and low grade ; the flavor of the really genuine 
resembles the flowers of camomile, and is considered 
very wholesome. To relish this wine a taste must 



84 WINES OF SPAIN. 

be acquired for it It is made near San Lucar ; not 
produced from the Xerez vineyards. 

Oloroso, 

The term Oloroso is Spanish, derived from oh — 
odor, and roso — ^rose ; and may be applied to all 
Sherry wines distinguished for a fine aroma or per- 
fume — it does not mean Sherry possessing a flavor 
of the rose, but simply signifies any agreeable perfume 
that may be natural and inherent in the wine. 

Sack, 

I, 
The term ^' Sack" has been applied to the sweet 

and dry wines of Xerez, Malaga and Canary, but 
the first-named place is entitled to priority. This 
was the beverage so highly prized by Falstaff, and 
administered to the dying Lefevre by the philanthro- 
pic and warm-hearted hero of Sterne in his Tristram 
Shandy. 

Various derivations are given of the word sack, 
namely — ^from a Japanese liquor called socfai, or a 
corruption of the word sec (dry)-or Xeque, a town of 
Morocco, where wine was produced in abundance — 
or saco, or the odre borracho in which wine is carried, 
yet the Spaniards do not apply ^^ saccf^ to wine- 
skins — lastly, the supposition that it was introduced 
into Europe by the Spanish and Portuguese traders 
by whom the wine was made and sent from Spain 
and the Canaries. The origin of the term, as well as 
the particular wine it designated, cannot be of much 



wnnss OP spain. 85 

importance, and will ever remain a matter of conjec- 
ture. 

Paocarettay 

So named irom an ancient monastery, abont five 
miles from Xerez, is a rich and highly esteemed 
Malmsey, possessing much of the aromatic flavor of 
Sieny — ^it is made from rich or over-ripe grapes 
grown on the chalky soils of the surrounding terri- 
tory. 

Pedro Ximenez 

Beceives its name from a grape which is said to 
have been imported from the banks of the Rhine by 
an individu^ called Pedro Simon (corrupted to 
Ximenez), and is one of the richest and most delicate 
of the Malaga wines, resembling very much the 
Malmsey of Paxaretta. 

Lagrima de Malaga 

Is the richest and finest of the sweet wines of 
Malaga; the name of which almost explains the 
manner in which it is made. It is the droppings of 
the ripe grape hung up, and is obtained without the 
application of pressure — ^it is very luscious, and made 
from the large white Muscatel grape. It resembles 
Gonstantia, and although not much used by foreign- 
ers is highly valued by the Spaniards. 



86 WINES OF SPAIN. 



RED WINES. 

For the preparation of red wines the grapes are 
used without any selection ; and with a view to give 
color and strength to the mitstj a large quantity of 
burnt gypsum is strewed upon them before they are 
trodden, which occasions a rapid fermentation, and 
imparts a harsh dry taste to the wine, though much 
of the saccharine matter remains undecomposed. 
When, the wine is made, the ordinary care and atten- 
tion is dispensed with, and it is sent to market in an 
imperfect state. In fact all the red wines of Spain 
are made in an imscientific, careless manner. 

Tent 

This wine is grown about five leagues firom Cadiz, 
is sometimes called Tintilla or Tinto di Bota, but 
generally known as Tent, especially in England, 
where it is principally used as a Sacramental wine, 
and sometimes drank as a stomachic. This is the 
only red wine of Andalusia worthy, of notice ; it is 
sweet and generous, and nearly of the consistency of 
honey, its richness and heaviness rendering it unsuita- 
ble for ordinary use. The grape from which this wine 
is made forms an exception to all others from the 
internal hue being black. There is another red sweet 
wine made in Andalusia also called Rota or Tinto di 
Bota ; it too is of the rich class but has a tart flavor. 



WINSB OF SPAIN. 87 



Val de Peflas. 

This celebrated red wine is grown upon a rocky 
or stony soil, as Val de Penas or " Valley of Stones" 
indicates. It resembles Burgundy, being rich and 
racy, and in the estimation of many considered the 
finest red wine in the worhl. 

It is rarely drunk in perfection except on the spot, 
owing to its being transported in skins which impart 
to it a strong rancid flavor, as well as the adultera- 
tions practised upon it by the carriers during its 
transit from the interior. It is made from a Burgun- 
dy grape which has been transplanted from the 
stinted suns of fickle France to the certain and 
glorious summers of La Mancha — the finest quality 
is produced at New Castile, and an inferior descrip- 
tion is made at Manzanares. 

Bent Carlos 

Is produced from the neighborhood of a town of 
that name in the province of Valencia and to the 
eastward of that city ; a considerable quantity of this 
wine is exported to France, expressly to mingle with 
Claret for the English market, and also to this coun- 
try and Great Britain to mix with Port wine. It is 
a coarse, strong and deep-colored wine. 

Catalonia, Valencia, Alioant and Arbaqon 
produce considerable quantities of wine; some 
really excellent are made in La Torre, Perales, 
Segorbe and Vinarez ; others are extremely coarse 



88 WINES OF SFADSr. 

and indifferent, and not being adapted for foreign 
consumption are used as the common drink in the 
country. There is a very good red wine made in 
Alicant called tnno^fn^o — strong and sweet; it comes 
from the tintiUa plant. like Cyprus wine, it is said 
to possess healing qualities and to cleanse wounds. 
There is also another excellent red wine made which 
becomes of the very first order by age ; it is made 
from grapes of two or three sorts, mingled together. 

The red wines of Spain are numerous, but, as 
before remarked, the vintage operations are con- 
ducted so regardless of ordinary care, that many of 
the wines are not worthy of notice, beyond iJieir 
immediate localities. 

It is not too much to expect from a country pos- 
sessing so glorious a climate, and where fine seasons 
and good vintages are the rule, and not the exception, 
that the wines of Spain, both red and white, will one 
day rank much higher in estimation than they do at 
present The importation of them, into all countries, 
is fast encroaching upon the Portugal wines. The 
political condition of the country must change for 
the better, at some future time ; then the happy na- 
ture (rf the climate, and the fertility of the soil will 
be seconded by industry and science. When that 
period arrives, it will not be too much to expect, 
that the delicacy and aroma of French wines will be 
found in those of Spain; and that, together with 
good management in the conduct of her vintages, 
Spain may exhibit wines of the first class, as to qual- 
ity, and rival all other nations successfully. The 



WIKES OF SPAIN. 8ft 

white and sweet wines are almost all that are known 
to foreigners ; but the red wines of Spain, properly 
treated, will be found equal to most odiers. 

The islands of Majorca and Minorca produce some 
good wines. Muscadine and red wines are grown in 
the last-named island^ but seldom exported. In 
Majorca, there is an excellent red wine made called 
Aleyor ; and at Banal Busa the wine known by the 
name of Alba Flora, is produced; it resemblea 
Bhine wine^ but is not quite so dry. 



CHAPTER iX. 

4 

OF THE WINES OF MADEIRA. 

IHTRODUCTIOK OF THE VINE — ^MADEIRA WINE DISTINGUISHED FOR 
ITS EXTRAORDINART DT7RABILITT AND SUFERIORITT — ^MALMSET 
— SERCIAL — ^BUAL — ^TINTO— TINTA — ^VERDEILHO. 

The island of Madeira is said to have been stocked 
with plants brought jfrom Cyprus, by order of Prince 
Henry, under whose auspices the first colony of the 
Portuguese was established there, in the year 1421. 
The mildness of the climate and the volcanic soils 
with which that island abounds, were so favorable 
to their growth, that if we may credit the report of 
the Venetian traveller, Alvise de Mosto, who 
stopped there on his voyage to Africa, in 1455, they 
produced more grapes than leaves, and the clusters 
were of extroordinaiy size. For a long time sugar 
was the principal commodity which Madeira sup- 
plied ; and it was not until a comparatively recent 
period that its wines became generally known, and 
acquired that distinction to which their many valu- 
able qualities so justly entitle them. From a very 
early period, Madeira wine has been in extensive use 
in this country ; it is on record, that wines were ex- 



WINES OF MADEIRA. 91 

ported from the island before 1460. The first colon- 
ists of North America were no sooner settled there, 
than they carried staves, com, and other produce to 
the island, and exchanged them for wine. It ap» 
pears to have been little used in England, until the 
middle of the last century, and owed its introduction 
to the British officers who had served in the West 
Indies, and had become acquainted with the excel- 
lence of the wines. The demand considerably in- 
creased from the suspension of commercial inter- 
course with other wine countries, during the Euro- 
pean war (Madeira being then looked upon as an Af- 
rican settlement). This led to importations of all the 
inferior grades, and these being sold for above their 
value, necessarily brought the whole into disrepute, 
at least among those who were not aware of the dis- 
tinctions existing. None but the very highest grades 
can now be sold for consumption in that country. 

The north side of the island, though sufficiently 
fertile, being exposed to cold winds and fogs from 
the sea, is necessarily less suitable to the culture of 
the vine than the south side, where all the best vine- 
yards are accordingly situated. The soil most com- 
monly met with, consists of pumice-stone, mixed 
with a portion of clay, sand and marie ; on several of 
the lower hills, nothing but black or gray volcanic 
ashes are seen, and the higher lands are generally 
covered with a soft lava, which rests upon a stratum oi 
black ashes. As the acclivities are often very steep, 
they are partly formed into terraces, to prevent 
the loose earth from being washed away; and 



92 WINES OF KADEIBA. 

to counteract the effects of the summer droughts, 
watercourses are constructed along the sides of the 
mountains, which enable the farmers to irrigate their 
vineyards as occasion may require. 

Among the various species of grape cultivated, 
those called verdeilho^ negra^ moUe^ btml, fnalvazia^ and 
sercialj yield the best wines. They are propagated 
by quicksets or cuttings, and planted in rows ; the 
ground being always trenched sufficiently deep to 
allow the roots to penetrate into the substratum of 
volcanic ashes. Some are left without support, and 
kept low by frequent pruning ; others are trained 
on square frames or trellises, from twenty to thirty 
inches high ; while others, again, are disposed on a 
sloping lattice work, formed of canes, and supported 
by poles, the tallest of which rise about seven feet 
firom the ground. The fruit is generally ripe about 
the first week in September ; for the best wines, it is 
gathered at different times, and carefully picked, 
the unripe and damaged portion being set apart for 
the manufacture of an inferior wine. Most of the 
red grapes are consumed in the manuiacture of white 
wines ; but a portion of them are converted into tinta. 

The demand for Madeira wines, in this country, 
to which, at one period, they were alone exported, 
first led to a knowledge of the benefit they derive 
from removal to a warm climate, and since they have 
come into use among the nations of Europe, it has. 
been usual to prepare them for particular markets, 
by a voyage to the East or West Indies. The wines 
which have been thus matured, necessarily sell for 



WINES OF MADEnUL 98 

much higher prices than those which have been im- 
ported directly from Madeira; but it does not follow, 
that the wines which have made the longest voyage, 
and been transplanted to the hottest country, are al- 
ways the best. Much will depend on the original qual- 
ity of the wine, on the degree of fermentation which 
it had previously undergone, and on the quality of 
brandy which had been used with it 

The great additional expense attending this mode 
of improving Madeira wines, has occasioned the 
adoption of v^ous artificial methods, by which a 
similar effect may be obtained. It has, for many 
years, been the practice to subject a certain portion 
of the vintages to the continued influence of a high 
temperature, by placing them in rooms heated by 
stoves and flues, like the apotheca or fumarium of the 
ancients. The wine thus treated is said to acquire, 
in the course of a few months, the same degree of 
mellowness, and the same tint, which it would take 
as many years to produce by the ordinary method 
of keeping, or by a voyage to a hot climate ; but it 
generally wants that delicacy of flavor, which noth- 
ing but time will give. Delicate high grade wines 
are generally exempted from this course of treat- 
ment, and are allowed to attain maturity by time, 
unassisted by these artificial means. Various addi- 
tions are used to bring up the character of the 
inferior growths to the standard of the first, and 
palm them upon the world for that which they are 
not. Some imagine the character of the wines to 
have deteriorated of late ye^rs, but such is not the 



94 WIKES OF MADKTRA. 

case — ^indeed there is no reasonable ground for the 
supposition. The demand for the cheap wines of aU 
countries, has been so great that the Madeira mer- 
chants have been compelled to send cheaper, and, 
consequently, inferior wines, especially to this coun- 
try, and these qualities, in many instances, Being 
sold to consumers for the finest, naturally caused a 
reaction, which must be the case with all wines, from 
the same cause. 

Madeira. 

Fine Madeira wines are distinguished for their 
extraordinary durability. Like the ancient vintages 
of the Surrentine hills, they are truly ^^firmissima 
vinaj*^ retaining their qualities unimpaired in both 
extremes of climate, suffering no decay, and con- 
stantly improving as they advance in age. Indeed 
they cannot be pronounced perfect until they have 
been kept eight or ten years in wood, and after- 
wards allowed to mellow for the same time in bottle ; 
and even then, they will hardly have reached the 
utmost perfection of which they are susceptible. 
When of good quality, and matured in the manner 
described, they lose all their original harshness, and 
acquire that agreeable pungency, that bitter-sweet- 
ness, which was so highly prized in the choicest 
wines of antiquity^ — ^uniting great delicacy and rich- 
ness of flavor, with an exceedingly fragrant and 
diffusible aroma. The nutty taste which is often 
very marked, is not communicated, as some have 
imagined, by means of bitter almonds, but is the 



WINES OF KABSIBA. 95 

result of superior quality and great age, and, conse- 
quentlj, becomes inherent in the wine. It is scarce- 
ly necessary to remark, that the preceding observa* 
tions apply exclusively to wines of a high order, for 
Madeira, like all other wine countries, furnishes, 
along with a few superior growths, a great many 
of indifferent quality. 

Malmsey. 

The term Malmsey is merely a corruption of Mai- 
vasia, or rather Monovasia, the name of a small forti- 
fied town in the bay of Epidaurus, Limera, where the 
grape was originally derived. It is grown on rocky 
grounds, which are exposed to the full influence of 
the sun's rays, and like all other luscious wines, is 
made from grapes allowed to remain on the vine until 
they are over-ripe, or partially shrivelled. Malmsey 
is universally admitted to be one of the finest and 
most delicious sweet wines, a portion of which is 
usually reserved for the royal table of Portugal — 
the quantity produced is very limited. 

.Sercial 

Is an excellent and highly esteemed dry wine, 
obtained from a grape, which, like the Malvasia, will 
only succeed on particular spots. When new it is very 
harsh and austere, and requires to be kept a great 
length of time before it is thoroughly mellowed. It 
possesses all the requisites of a perfect wine, being 
extremely delicate, with a rich aromatic flavor, quite 
peculiar to itself, combining with the ordinary pro- 



96 WINES OF MAD£IBA« 

perties of the finest Madeira, an agreeable nutty 
flavor, an aerative property and stimulaney, that 
leaves nothing to be desired. It holds the same 
rank among Madeira wines that Amontillado does 
among Sherries. The grape which yields it is the 
Johannisberg, transplanted from the Bhine. 

Bual. 

An extremely delicate soft wine possessing a 
high flavor, and reckoned among the most superior 
on the island. It is supposed to have descended 
from a Spanish or the Burgundy grape. 

IVwto, or Pure Juice Madeira^ 

Is a south side wine, made from purple grapes 
and some white mixed ; the husks being excluded 
in making the wine, renders it not astringent ; it is 
an excellent table drink, and improves much in this 
country with age and proper treatment. 

IVnto, or Burgundy Madeira^ 

Resembles Burgundy, from which vine it is pro- 
duced, and is the only red wine made on the island^ — 
it is a fine wine of a ruby color and astringent in its 
character, and very agreeable as long as it retains its 
fragrancy and color, though it generally wants the 
high aroma for which the white sorts are distinguish- 
ed. When old it may be compared to tawny Port; 
after a few years it loses its color entirely, and is apt 
to turn into a delicate but rather an ordinary Ma- 
deira. 



WINES OF MADEIRA. 97 



Verdeilho 

Is produced from the white grape, and when 
made from the growth of the South side is the most 
potent wine of Madeira: it requires great age to 
mature and attain celebrity. 

Nearly all the fine wines are produced in the 
district of Cama de Lobos, Estreito, St Boque and 
St. Antonio. In the district of Companio a very 
delicate flavored white wine is made, possessing a 
high aroma and esteemed on the island ; little of 
this is exported. 



CHAPTER L 

OF THE WINES OF POBTUOAIi. 

nTRQDUCnOH OF FORT WIHES INTO BRGLAHB — ^BBGIHHIHG OF 
AOULTEBATION — ROTAL WIRE COMPAinr AUB ITS OFERATIOHS. — 
ALTO DOURO— MODE OF MAHTTFACTURE^FORTO — ^DESCRIFTIOH 
OF GOOD FORT— GOLARES — ^BARRA-A-BARRA — BUCELLAS — 
TERMO — ARDTTO — ^LISBON — ST. T7BES IfALMSET — CARCAVELLOS. 

When the war with France broke out in 1689, 
the price of Claret rose very rapidly, and in the course 
of two or three years the stock on hand being com- 
pletely exhausted it became necessary to find some 
substitute for it, and this was the red wine of Portu- 
gal, which appears to have been then imported for 
the first time into England ; the Oporto wines were 
then free from any admixture of brandy or other 
adulterations. The practice of using brandy com- 
menced about the year 1720, and became very pre- 
valent in the year 1754, and to meet the vitiated 
tastes of English consumers, the vineyard proprietors 
and merchants were compelled to exceed the limits 
which nature had assigned for the production of pure 
wines, — ^the demand was for such as, when drank, 



WINES OF POBTUGAL. ©9 

lOTild feel like liquid fire in the stomach, burn like 
nflamed gunpowder, bear the tint of ink, be like the 
sugar of Brazil in sweetness, and like the spices of 
India in aromatic flavor. The importers and consu- 
mers still complaining of want of strength and color 
in the article supplied, it was found necessary to dash 
it with a larger quantity of brandy during fermen- 
tation to give it strength and sweetness, and the 
extract of elder-berries or the rind of the grape to 
increase the color ; the recipe was thus propagated 
till the wines became a mere confusion of mixtures. 
In the year 1756, a monopoly was granted toXhe- 
chartered Eoyal Wine Company of Oporto, with the 
view of correcting these objectionable practices in 
the manufacture of the wines ; if the company had 
done its duty and acted up to its professions the wines 
of Oporto, which are naturally of a good character, 
would have been improved into wines of the first 
class ; but they were the first to violate their own 
fundamental laws by mixing wines of the most infe- 
rior qualities with the growths of the Douro ; other 
privileges which they abused had the effect of de- 
stroying the genuine character of pure Port wine, so 
that the finer products of the Douro are in a great 
measure unknown to us, and Port wine has become 
to be a single liquor, of nearly uniform flavor and 
strength, — ^varying it is true to a certain extent in 
quality, but still always approaching to a definite 
standard, aud admitting of few degrees of excellence. 
The manipulations, the admixtures, and in one word 
the adulterations, to which the best wines of the 



100 WINES OF PORTUGAL. 

Doaro are subjected, have mach the same effect, as 
if all the growths of Borgandy were to be mingled 
in one immense vat^ and sent into the world as the 
only true Burgundian wine : the delicious produce of 
Boman^e, Chambertin, and the Glos-Yougeot would 
disappear; and in their places we should find nothing 
better than a second rate Beaune, or Macon wine. 

The more obnoxious special privileges of this 
Company have long since been abrogated, neverthe- 
less errors in legislation, confirmed by long usage, 
make the return to true principles proportionally 
difficult, so many are found interested in the pursu- 
ance and upholding of every system attended with 
gain. 

The picture thus drawn may be considered over 
cha^'ged, but it must be regarded as conveying too 
just a representation of the vitiated taste in Port 
wines. To'so great a length is the practice in ques- 
tion occasionally carried, that some of these wines 
are to be met with of excellent quality in other 
respects, but so highly adulterated with brandy, and 
retaining their adventitious strength in so marked 
a degree, as to baffle the courage of the most deter- 
mined Port wine drinkers, even when their harsher 
properties have been subdued by age. 

The finest Port wines are the produce of the 
Alto Douro, about fifty miles from the harbor of 
Oporto, the country presenting a succession of hills 
on both sides of the river, which afford the choicest 
exposures, and such soils as are considered most pro- 
pitious to the culture of the vine. 



WINES or POBTUQAL. 101 

The vines are kept low, and trained on poles ; a 
considerable variety of species is cultivated. As 
soon as the grapes begin to shrivel thej are gathered 
and introduced into broad shallow vats, where they 
are trodden along with the stalks ; and this opera- 
tion is repeated several times during the fermentation, 
which in the case of superior wine continues about 
three day& When the liquor has ceased to ferment| 
it is removed into large tuns, containing from eight 
to twenty pipes each. After the fair of the Douro* 
which usually takes place in February, the wine is 
racked into pipes, for the purpose of being conveyed 
into the lodges of the wine merchants of Oporto, who 
make their purchases at this period. To that which 
is reserved for exportation a' quantity of brandy is 
added when it is deposited in the stores; and a 
second portion is thrown in before it is shipped. 
Whether the addition of brandy is made with the 
view of enabling the wines to bear sea carriage, or 
merely to please the English palate, it is of little 
importance to determine ; however it has long been 
an article of belief in Great Britain that the quality 
of these wines is much improved by the admixture; 
and what are " black, strong, and sweet " still find 
admirers. 

P(yrt 

Derives its name from the place of shipment. 
Oporto ; when new it is of a dark purple color, has a 
full rough body with an astringent sweet taste — ^the 
color also varies from a pale rose to a bright purple, 



102 WINES OF POBTUGAL. 

is perfectly transparent, the rose becomes tawny and 
the purple ruby, both of which colors are durable. 
The color and astringent properties of the wine ar^ 
derived from the husk, and in part from the seeds of 
the grape. When this wine has remained some 
years in the wood, the sweetness, roughness, and 
astringency of flavor abate ; but it is only after it has 
been some time in bottle^ that the genuine aroma of the 
wine is developed. No wine is so easy of adultera- 
tion as Port, none so much adulterated, and none 
which by mereflwor, from the natural coarseness of 
the wine in its first stages, it is so difficult to detect. 

The essential characteristics of good Port wine 
are richness of color, a soft, fruity, and generous taste, 
freedom from sweetness and without too much astrin- 
gency. 

' Notwithstanding the remarks made in the pre- 
ceding part of this chapter, it must be admitted that 
Portugal can produce red wines to vie with the best 
that Prance or any other wine country can boast 
of; but these superior growths are rare, and for 
the reasons already stated, they are still more 
rarely met with in their pure and unadulterated 
condition. 

Of the other red wines beside Port, Oolares may 
be named ; it is dry and not unlike common Claret, 
and is principally drunk in the country. The wine 
of Barra-a-Barra in the vicinity of Lavadio, is a 
highly valued red wine. 



WINES OF POBTUGAL. 108 

White Wines. 

The white wines of Portugal are of very good 
quality, and as their flavor and aroma ar^ generally 
of a more delicate and evanescent nature than those 
of the red class, they are still less capable of bear- 
ing an admixture of brandy. 

The best of this dass is Bucellas, a dry wine re- 
sembling Hock, Termo an excellent wine of good 
body, and Arinto an agreeable delicate wine of the 
same species ; all of which are well adapted for 
table use. Lisbon is a fair ordinary wine, but not 
equal in point of delicacy and flavor to the former. 
Of the Sweet wines, St. Ubes Malmsey, and Car- 
cavellos, are well known as excellent dessert wines. 



CHAPTER XL ' 

OF THE WINES OF GEBMANT. 

EPOCH OF THE VIVE 15 GEBMAJfY— LATITUDE OF OULTIYATfON — 
LOCALITY OF THE BEST VINETASDS — MODE OF MAHUFACTUEE — 
CAPACIOUS WINE VESSELS — PRESERVATION AND IMPROVEBIENT 
OF THE WINES— GENERAL QXTALITIES — ABSENCE OF ALCOHOL-^ 
CELEBRATED VINTAGES — JOHANNIBBEBOBE^STEINBESGER^— 
BUDESHEIMER— HOCKHBIMBR^MOBBLLB— UNBIVALLBD UVEAr 
BILITY— >WHOLESOMENESS. 

Yabious epochs have been assigned for the intro- 
duction of the vine into Germany; the most au- 
thentic and general authorities agree, that it proba- 
bly was not till towards the reign of Charlemagne, 
that the vine was cultivated on the banks of the 
Rhine. From that period the agriculture of Qer- 
many has continued gradnaUy to improve; and 
such has been the melioration of the climate, that 
it now freely admits of the culture of the vine, in 
some places, even as far as the fifty-second degree 
of northern latitude. If, in these remote situations, 
the fruit which it bears prove occasionally of indif- 
ferent quality, yet, in certain districts, on the other 
hand, the vintages are brought to a high degree of 



WIKES OF GBBHAKT. 106 

perfection; and it is worthy of remark, that the 
best Germaa wines are at present grown beyond the 
line which has been assigned for the sucoessfol col* 
tivation of the vine in France. 

The course of the Rhine between Mentz and 
Coblentz is confined within steep banks which 
abound in strata propitious to the vine, and which 
rising occasionally into lofty hills, especially towards 
the northern side, afford the fairest aspects for its 
cultivation. On both sides of the river, acojdingly, 
we behold extensive ranges of vineyards, yielding 
a profusion of excellent wines, supporting a numer- 
ous population, and giving an air of richness and 
animation to the scenery, which forms an agreeable 
contrast to the ruins of feudal magnifk^ence that 
crown the principal heights. The choftest vintages, 
however, are limited to a small portion of this dis- 
trict, /Called the Bhinegau, extending on the right 
bank of the river from Wallauf, a little below 
Mentz, to Budesheim, and including a space of 
rather more than nine English miles in length, by 
about four in breadth ; but the produce of some of 
the vineyards above Mentz, particularly of those at 
Hocheim, on the banks of the Mayn, is usually 
classed with the best Bhine wines, being of nearly 
equal excellence. 

For the white wines, which constitute by far the 
greater portion of those made in Germany, the 
grapes are separated from the stalks, and fermented 
in casks, by which means the aroma is fully pre- 
served. The wine is freed from the lees by sue- 



106 WINES OP GBRMANY. 

cessive rackings, and when sufficiently clarified, is 
introduced into tuns, where it is allowed to mellow, 
and continues to improve during a long term of 
years. Those used in the Bhinegau hold about 
four hundred gallons ; but in other ■ parts of Ger- 
many they are of much larger capacity, the largest 
of which holds about two hundred and fifty pipes, 
being upwlrds of 8,000 gallons. Formerly the 
great proprietors vied with each other in the mag- 
nitude of the vessels in which they collected and 
preserved the produce of their vineyards ; and as 
the better growths are valued in proportion to their 
age, the stock of wines in the ceUars belonging to 
the princes, magistrates, and richer orders of monks, 
was often enormous. Most persons have heard of 
the Heidelberg tun and other immense casks, in 
which they have been kept for whole centuries. 
Nor is such a mode of preserving vintages so ab- 
surd as some have supposed ; for the stronger wines 
are undoubtedly improved by it to a greater degree 
than they could have been by an opposite system 
of management. But in practising this method it 
is essential^in the first place, to keep the vessels 
always full ; and secondly, when any portion of 
the contents are drawn oflj to replace it with wine 
of the same growth, or as nearly resembling it as 
possible. When such cannot be had, the vacant 
space may be filled up by introducing washed 
pebbles into the casks. For the more delicate 
growths, however, small vessels are certainly pre- 
ferable. But in all cases when tlie wine has at- 



WINIES OF GEBICANY. 107 

tained a proper maturity iu cask, it should be put 
into bottle. 

The wines of the Bhine may be regarded as 
constituting a distinct order by themselves. Some 
of the lighter sorts, indeed, resemble very much the 
vins de grave ; but in general they are drier than 
the French white wines, tod are characterized by a 
delicate flavor and aroma, called in the country 
gdrej which is quite peculiar to them, and of which 
it would therefore be in vain to attempt the descrip- 
tion. A notion prevails that they are naturally 
acid ; and the inferior kinds no doubt are so ; but 
this is not the constant character of the Bhine wines, 
which in good years, have not any perceptible acid- 
ity to the taste — at least not more tha^ is common 
to them with the growths of warmer regions. Acids 
are supposed to generate gout, yet the gout is a 
disease rarely known on the banks of the Bhine, 
where hardly any other wine is drunk. 

The Bhine wines, when new, contain little more 
than half the quantity of alcohol which is usually 
found in the strong white wines of the south ; and 
as this quantity is often reduced by long keeping so 
low as seven or eight per cent., it is evident that 
the conservative power does not reside in the spirit- 
uous principle of these liquors. Their dryness and 
brilliancy prove that the saccharine matter and su- 
perfluous leaven have been entirely precipitated. 
The preservative quality in these wines is said to be 
in the free tartaric acid which they contain ; and al- 
though by very long keeping the wine becomes 



108 WINES OF 'QSBHANT. 

more acid than before, yet the acidity is very dis- 
tinct from that of vinegar, and by no means un- 
gratefiil to the palate ; while the color is heightened 
from a pale yellow to a bright amber hue, and the 
peculiar aroma and flavor are more fiiUy developed ; 
thus showing that no other changes have taken 
place than the diq)ersion of » part of the spirit, and 
the concentration of the remaining liquor. 

In unfavorable seasons these wines are found to 
contain an excess of malic acid, and are consequent- 
ly liable to those imperfections which are attendant 
on the presence of that ingredient. The produce of 
warm, dry seasons, is of aJmost indefinite duration, 
and their flavor and aroma improve by long keep- 
ing; hence i;hey are always in great demand. 
Among the most esteemed of such vintages may be 
named 1783, 1800, 1802, 1811, 1822, 1834, 1844, 
1846. 

Johannid)erger 

Is at the head of Bhinegau wines, and grown on 
the south side of the hill of that name, a little below 
Mentz, Vhich was first planted by the monks of the 
Abbey of Johannisberg, about the end of the elev- 
enth century. The soil is composed of the debris 
of various-colored stratified marl. The grapes are 
gathered as late as possible. The choicest produce 
is called Schloss Johannisberg, and is indebted for 
its celebrity to its high flavor and perfume, and the 
almost total absence of acidity. Formerly the best 
exposures of the hill were the property of the 



WINES OF aERUAirr. 109 

Bishop of Fulda, and it was only by favor that a 
few bottles of the prime vintages could be obtained 
from his lordship's cellar. On the secularization 
of the ecclesiastical states, the Prince of Orange 
became possessor of the domain; since then it 
passed into the hands of Prince Metternich. Far- 
ther changes have subsequently taken place, arising 
out of the political troubles of Europe, during which 
a considerable quantity of the wine has come into 
market : but a portion of that which grows at the 
foot of the hill is always to be had ; and even this 
is preferable in point of flavor to most of the other 
Rhine wines, and bears a high price. 

Stoivberger. 

Next to Johannisberg may be ranked the pro- 
duce of this vineyard, which belonged to the sup- 
pressed monastery of Ederbach, and is now the 
property of the Grand Duke of Nassau. It is 
the strongest of all the Rhine wines, and in favora- 
ble years has much sweetness and delicacy Qf flavor. 
That of 1811 is compared by Ritter to the drier 
kind of Lunel, and has been sold on the spot as 
high as five and a half florins, or nearly three dol- 
lars the bottle. 

Rvdesheimer. 

This wine grows on the hill opposite Bingen, 
and in some instances has been preferred to the 
Steinberg. The rock here is composed of micaceous 
schist, in many places entirely denuded ; and the 



110 WINES OF GERMANY. 

acclivity is so steep that it has been necessary to 
form a great part of it into terraces, and to carry np 
in baskets the requisite quantity of vegetable mould 
and manure. The Orleans grape is chiefly cultivat- 
ed, yielding a wine which combines a high flavor 
with much body, and is freer from acidity than 
most of the other growths of the Rhine. This may 
be partly attributed to the favorable exposure, 
. which allows the grapes to ripen fully, and also to 
the lateness of the vintage, which seldom com- 
mences till the end of October or the beginning of 
November. Some of the Biidesheim Hinterhauser, 
and Riidersheimer Berg, approach in excellence to 
the Johannisberg. 

The vineyard of Grafenberg, which was ano- 
ther appanage of the wealthy convent of Ederbach, 
but of much less extent than Steinberg, is still dis- 
tinguished by the choiceness of its growths. Those 
of Marcobrunner, in the same neighborhood, and 
of BoTHENBERO near Geisenheim, afford wines 
which axe prized for their softness and delicate 
flavor. 

All the preceding wines described are white. Of 
red wines, the only kind worthy of notice in Bhinegau 
is grown at Asmanhausen, a little below Blidesheim. 
In good years it is scarcely inferior to some of the 
better sorts of Burgundy; but the quantity pro- 
duced is small, and other wines are often substituted 
under its name. 



WIN$S OF GEBHAKT. Ill 



Hockheimer* 



Is strictly speaking a Mayn wine : but a corrup- 
tion of its name has long furnished the appellation 
by which the first growths of the Ehine are usually 
designated in 'this country. The two chief vine- 
yards at Hockheim were in former times the pro- 
perty of the Dean o/Mentz, and are very limited in 
extent ; but the surrounding lands yield an abun- 
dant produce, which, as in the case of other wines, 
often passes for the first rate. The soils are com- 
posed of a white or brown marl, mixed with fine 
gravel, and reposing in some eases on strata of 
coal, which in hot and dry seasons is said to impart 
a particular flavor to the wine. 

Except in very favorable seasons this wine in 
respect of quality generally falls into the rank of 
the preceding. But the produce of certain spots 
on the banks of the river, such as Braunenberg, 
Piesport, and Zeltingen, is often of superior quality. 
The better sorts are clean and dry, with a light 
pleasant flavor and high aroma, not unlike that of 
the best Grave wines; but sometimes contracts a 
slaty taste from the strata on which they grow. 
They arrive at maturity in five or six years ; though 

* Hock is the contraction of Hockamort^ which, again, is evi- 
dently a corruption of Hockheimer, according to English accent 
and pronnnciaUon. 



112 WINES OF aERMANT. 

when made in favorable years, they will keep twice 
that time without experiencing any deterioration* 

Among the Rhenish wines, commonly so called, 
the Liebfirauenmilch, which is grown near Worms, 
and the Scarlachbei^er, from the neighborhood of 
Bingen, rank as the best kinds, and possess con- 
siderable body, flavor, and aroma. Those of Nier- 
stein, Laubenheim, and Bodenheim, are of a lighter 
quality, but have a delicate perfume and taste ; some 
are of opinion that the Marcobrunner, Riidesheimer, 
and Niersteiner, possess more fulness and body, 
but the Johannisberg, Geissenheim, and Hockheim, 
give the most perfect delicacy and aroma. 

The great durability of Hock wines is attribut- 
able to the exact balance of the constituent parts, 
which renders the fermentation perfect, and the 
consequent difficulty of deranging their affinities. 
There is something unaccountable in the extraor- 
dinary durability of wines grown so far to the 
north, where the slightest increase of warmth in a 
season causes such a difference in the quality of the 
wine. While strong southern wines suffer firom age 
after a certain period of years in bottle, and begin to 
deteriorate sensibly, the Rhine wines seem possessed 
of inextinguishable vitality, and set the greater 
part of rivalry in keeping at defiance. 

Spurious and inferior growths of Hock wines 
are frequently represented and sold for genuine and 
first growths, but these can be easily detected by 
good judges; all genuine wines possess a bouquet 
like the French, which is evidence of their purity 



WINES OP 6EBMAKY. 113 

and excellence. The real golden wine of the Rhine 
is not to be matched by any imitation ; it is excel- 
lent and very wholesome when mature. It enlivens 
without inebriating, cheers without too much stimu- 
lus, and strengthens while it warms the stomach. 
"Good Hock," the Germans say, "keeps off the 
doctor," and there is little doubt of this being 
true. 



8 



CHAPTER XIL 

OF ■iTHE WINES OF THE OANABIES. 

IRTRODXTCTION OF THE VIICE — HOWELL^S DESCBIFTIOIV OF GANART— 
VIDONIA — HALVASIA — SACK — TENEBIFFE . 

The vine was introduced into the Canary islands 
from the Bhine in the sixteenth century, during the 
reign of Charles V. 

Of the Canary wine, Howell, who writes in the 
sixteenth century, assures us it " is accounted the 
richest, the most firm, the best bodied, and last- 
ingest wine, and the most defecated from all earthly 
grossness of any other whatsoever." " French wines," 
he continues, " may be said to pickle meat in the 
stomach, but this is the wine that digests, and doth 
not only breed good blood, but it nutrifieth also, 
being a glutinous substantial liquor. Of this wine, if 
of any other, may be verified that merry induction, 
that good wine makes good blood, good blood 
causeth good humors, good humors cause good 
thoughts, good thoughts bring forth good works, 
good works carry a man to heaven. If this be true, 
surely more English go to heaven this way than any 



WINES OF THB CANABIBS. 116 

other ; for I think there is more Canary brought into 
England than all the world besides." 

Vidonia 

Is properly the dry Canary wine ; it is supposed 
to be derived from the vidogna grape, or is a corrup- 
tion of Verdona, a green wine of good body. It 
improves by age and resembles inferior Madeira. 

The Malvasia or Malmsey is an excellent sweet 
wine, rich and perfect of its kind, and formerly in 
high repute. 

The term Sack was originally applied to tho 
rich and dry wines of Canary. 

Terieriffe, 

This wine is superior in body and flavor to 
Vidonia, resembling Madeira also, but much inferior 
to it : the consumption of it as well as Vidonia has 
much decreased, owing to the introduction of cheap 
Madeiras and Marsala. 



CHAPTER XIII. 

OF THE WINES OF ITALY. 

THE NATURAL CAPABILITIES OF THE COUNTRT GROSSLT NEGLECTED 
— WINE GROWERS MORE INTENT ON QUANTITY THAN QUALITT 
— THE MANUFACTURE OF WINES CONDUCTED IN A SLOVENLY 
CARELESS MANNER — ^WINES' OF ASTI— LACRYMA CHRISTI. 

Of all the countries in Europe, Italy miglit be 
expected to produce the choicest wines. Its genial 
climate, and the long range of mountains which 
extend from the foot of the Alps to the extremity of 
Calabria, present in their course every variety of soil 
and exposure the best adapted to the culture of the 
grape. But, as generally happens, where nature is 
most bountiful, man becomes unmindful of her gifts, 
and ceases to improve the advantages of his situation 
according to his means and ability. In more north- 
ern latitudes, the utmost skill and industry are re- 
quired to protect the vine from injury: but in Italy, 
where it grows almost spontaneously, and an early 
summer secures the full maturity of its fruit, little 
labor and attention are necessary to produce an 
abundant vintage. Even in these situations where 
the proprietor is induced to bestow more care on its 



WINES OF ETALY. 117 

culture, the vine still appears but a secondary object ; 
being usually trained to pollard elms, poplars or 
mulberry trees, with Indian com or olive trees be- 
tween the rows. In certain {provinces it is raised on 
poles or trellises, but allowed to shoot up to the 
height of ten or fifteen feet ; in very few places is it 
pruned according to the more approved method. 

If appearance ajone were studied, the bold and 
stunted vines of Burgundy and Champagne must 
yield to those of Italy, where they are allowed to 
send forth their foliage full and broken, and their 
branches entwining round each other, and occasion- 
ally forming festoons from tree to tree contribute to 
variegate and adorn the landscape. But unfor- 
tunately, as we have seen, the quality of the wine is 
always in the inverse ratio of such exuljerance of 
growth, and so rooted is the common prejudice in 
its favor, that this mode of culture is still practised, 
notwithstanding its many disadvantages. 

It often happens that the vines are planted in the 
corn land, and the corn is grown on steep and rocky 
soil which scarcely doubles the seed, the meadows 
covered with woods, while the woodlands are left 
bare — the result of this course is that the wine is 
abundant, the fodder and corn frequently scarce. 

In spite of all these errors in the culture of the 
vine, the great superiority of the climate would 
probably still insure a high rank to the Italian wines, 
if more skill were displayed in the manufacture of 
them. But on this point the ignorance, the obsti- 
nacy, and the carelessness of the natives, are almost 



118 WINES OF ITALY. 

incredible. No pains are taken to seperate the dif- 
ferent species of grapes, either in the planting or in 
the vintage ; they are gathered indiscriminately 
often before they are ripe, no nicety or cleanliness 
is shown in conducting the process of making, or in 
removing the liquor into the cask ; in short, the wine 
is often spoiled irrecoverably, before it has left the 
vat. Throughout almost the whole of Italy the 
grapes are gathered too early ; the must is put into 
small and dirty vessels, and left to all the conse- 
quences of a careless and destructive fermentation. 

This being the usual mode of conducting vintage 
operations in Italy, we may readily see the impossi- 
bility of these wines sustaining a sea voyage and 
keeping in this climate — short sighted avarice makes 
the farmers in all cases more intent on quantity than 
quality. 

The topography of the ancient vineyards, there- 
fore, will aflford us but little insight into the charac- 
ters of the modern Italian wines. The Falernum 
and Cascuban, which inspired the muse of Horace, 
and warmed the heart of Cato, have disappeared 
from the soil; and the Ehaeticum, which called 
forth the^ eulogy of Virgil, as being second only to 
Falernum, would now be sought for in vain in the 
Veronese territory. 

In the Papal states the light white muscadine 
wines of Albano and Monte Fiascone, and the red 
and white wines of Orvieto, are the only kinds 
deserving of particular notice ; but as they do no^ 
bear distant carriage, they are seldom met with out 
of the country. 



WINES OP ITALY. 119 

Some good qualities are made at Asti in Pied- 
mont which bear sea carriage to this country, and 
drink well ; the best of these is Malvagia Bianco, a 
white sparkling wine, which is considered superior 
to the ordinary grades of Champagne; the red 
wines Nebiolo and Barbera are also excellent; some 
of the latter have a luscious aromatic flavor but 
without being cloying to the palate, as its sweetnesd 
is generally tempered with an agreeable sharpness 
and astringency, termed " dolce piccante." 

The best wines of Italy are found in the king- 
dom of Naples — the soil there being volcanic is 
eminently adapted for the vine. These wines are 
chiefly of the luscious kind. 

• 
Lacfi^yma Christi 

Is the most celebrated of the Italian wines ; it is 
grown on the volcanic soils of Vesuvius, and there 
are three principal sorts; viz., Lacryma Christi, a 
red luscious wine, better known by name than in 
reality, as it is made but in small quantity and 
chiefly reserved for the royal cellars ; also a musca- 
dine of a rich amber color and fragrant aroma; 
and thirdly, Vino Greece, a sweet wine .deriving its 
appellation from the grape that yields it. The best 
Lacryma is that of Monte Somma and Galitte ; but 
many of the second rate wines made in the vicinity, 
as those of Pozzuolo, Ischia, Nola, Ottagona, Novel- 
la, and Torre del Grseco, take the name of Lacryma, 
and pass in commerce for the first growths. 



120 WINES OP ITALT. 

It has been remarked that no two travellers 
agree about the merit of Italian wines. This often 
arises from the same names being adopted in differ- 
ent Italian states for wines of very opposite qualities. 
There is a t'tno santOj for example, in the Boman 
states, and a vino Graeco. There are wines of the 
same name in Naples. Even a wretched Veronese 
wine, truly " vino debolissimo e di niuna stima " is 
called "vino santo," while there is an excellent 
" vino santo " at Brescia. It is the same with sev- 
eral of the most noted wines of Italy, and unless 
the place of growth be annexed as well as the name, 
one traveller will praise a wine of the same appella- 
tion as that which another pronounces execrable. 

Without extenuating the observations made in 
the preceding part of this chapter on the wines of It- 
aly, it cannot be denied but that she produces good 
wines as well as bad ; yet the greater portion of them 
being imperfectly made do not possess durability, and 
are therefore unsuited for export to foreign countries ; 
yet in particlar districts it is by no means a rare 
thing to meet with good durable wine, as in some 
instances much care is bestowed on its manufacture. 
The general neglect of a careful and just system of 
culture, and* the want of that excitement which in- 
terest creates, have not prevented the capabilities of 
the Italian vineyards from being known ; still the 
political condition of the country paralyzes industry, 
the curses of a foreign yoke and domestic exaction 
blight the most active exertions, and render that 
land, which is the gem of the earth in natural gifts. 



r 



WINKS OP ITALY. 121 

a waste, a neglected and despoiled heritage to its 
inhabitants. The Italians would soon make good 
wine, if good wine would repay the making — ^if 
they might reap that reward due to industry and 
improvement, which common policy would not 
withhold in other countries. The peasantry gener- 
ally are not an idle race. 



CHAPTER XIV. 

OF THE WINES OF SICILY. 

GREAT IGKORAirCE AND NEGLECT DISPLAYED IN THE CULTIVATION 
OF THE VINE. AND IN THE MANTJFACTUBE OF WINE — SICILT 
MADEIRA — SYRACUSE — MESSINA — VAL DI MAZARA. 

To the wines of Sicily the observations which have 
been offered on the general character of those of 
Italy, apply in full force. The same advantages 
for the growth, and the same imperfections in the 
treatment of the vine ; the same errors in the 
fermentation, and the same inattention to cleanli- 
ness; in short, the same ignorance, obstinacy, and 
slovenliness, are displayed throughout the whole 
system of management, and, as might be expected, 
are productive of nearly the same results. Never- 
theless, the vintages of several spots maintain their 
ancient repute, and the total produce of the island 
is considerable. The white wines are most numer- 
ous and by far the best ; they resemble Lisbon or 
the lighter kinds of Madeira. Many of the red 
wines are extremely coarse, and have a disagreeable 
taint of pitch. The hills at the foot of Mount Etna 
may be regarded as one vast vineyard, producing a 



WINES OF SICILY. 123 

great variety of wines, according to the different 
soils and exposures. 

Marsala or Sicily Madeira 

Is the chief wine that commerce has yet fur- 
nished other countries from Sicily; it derives its 
name from Marsala, the port from whence it is ship- 
ped, and in the neighborhood of which it is grown. 
It is a dry wine, the best qualities similar to light 
Madeira of an inferior quality. It is coarse and 
pungent, and its consumption seems to be more 
owing to its cheapness than to any other cause. 

Syracuse produces over its mouldering remains 
a red muscadine equal to any in the world, if not 
superior. Messina furnishes much wine for expor- 
tation. The Val di Mazara and its vineyards give 
wines known in England. Augusta produces wine 
having a strong flavor of violets. None of the 
wines of Sicily have obtained much repute in for- 
eign countries, owing to the causes already named, 
bad husbandry, ^nd the careless mode in which the 
vintage operations are conducted. Since the closer 
connection of Great Britain with this country took 
place, the wines have materially improved. 



CHAPTER XV, 

OF THE WINES OF HUNGARY. 

EAHLT INTRODUCTION OF THE VINE — QUALETT OF WINES ST7FSRI0R 
— QUANTITY CONSIDERABLE — TOKAY — TOKAY AUSBRUCH — 
TOKAY HASLAS — MODE OF MANUFACTURE — EXTRAVAGANT 
PRICES-— RELATIVE AND INTRINSIC QUANTITY AND VALUE. 

It is supposed that the vine was introduced into 
Hungary by the Emperor Probus, about the third 
century, or that it passed from Transylvania and 
came into the country from the northwest of Asia. 
That the vine was unknown when Hungary was 
under the dominion of the Huns, is certain, as his- 
tory states that in the verses written by a Chinese 
princess who was married to a Tanjou or Hungarian 
chief, she laments that sour milk was her only drink, 
raw flesh her only food, and a tent her only palace. 
At the time of Attila's conquest in the fifth century, 
wine it appears was a common beverage, as it is 
spoken of with much familiarity on the occasion of 
the feasts given to that monarch as described by 
Gibbon. But the exact period of its introduction is 
not, perhaps, a matter of much importance for us to 
determine, as the success with which the plant has 



WINES OP HUNGABY. 125 

been cultivated has rendered it one of the first wine 
countries of Europe. 

The wines of Hungary have long enjoyed a well- 
merited fame, and although no great variety is known 
at least of such wines as go to foreigners by exporta- 
tion, they rank so high in the highest class of products 
of the vintage, that they have borne the name of Hun- 
garian wine far beyond where it has ever been tasted 
or seen. 

Hungary produces upwards of one half the quan- 
tity of wine grown in the whole Austrian empire, 
and somewhat less than one third of the quantity 
produced annually in France. The vineyards which 
produce the best wines are those of Ofen, Pesth, 
Tokay, the Syrmiain the South, Groswarden, Erlou, 
and Warwitz, in the Bannat. The consumption in 
the country is very considerable, and a great deal is 
exported. The great fair for the wines of Hungary 
is held annually at Pesth, and great encouragement 
is given by the government to vine cultivation. The 
Hungarians enjoy their wine, and generally carry a 
flask on their journeys, called Csutora. Their songs 
dwell much on their wine of Tokay ; they sing that 
their 



II 



-Mases young and laughing 



Dwell in vineyards of Tokay." 



TOKAY. 



This wine is the most celebrated ; and derives 
its name from an inconsiderable town in High Hun- 



126 WIliTES OF HUNGARY. 

gary, and is the produce of various vineyards in the 
tract of country which extends twenty-five or thirty 
miles to the northwest of Tokay, and is called the 
Hegallya, or Submontine district. 

Tokay acquired no great fame till about the year 
1650, in consequence of the improved method of 
preparing it from picked §.nd half dried grapes, 
which appears to have been then practised for the 
first time. The strata are all volcanic, and the best 
wines are grown on soils formed of black trapp, 
or decomposed porphyry, porcelain clay, and feld- 
spar. When the vines are planted they are cut 
down at a knot, within a span from the ground, and 
the superfluous young shoots are pruned at the same 
place every spring. In order that the fruit may at- 
tain its fullest ripeness, the vintage is delayed as long 
as possible, seldom commencing till the end of Octo- 
ber, or the beginning of November ; by which time, 
in favorable seasons, a considerable number of the 
grapes have become shrivelled or half dried. These 
are called trockenbeeren, or dry grapes, being chiefly 
supplied by the above-mentioned species of vine; 
and as it is on them that the luscious qualities of the 
Tokay wines depend, they are carefully separat- 
ed from the rest. When a sufficient quantity has 
been collected, they are introduced into a cask, the 
bottom of which is perforated with small holes ; and 
the juice which exudes from them without any 
further pressure than what proceeds from their own 
weight, constitutes the syrupy liquor termed, 



WINKS OP HUNGABY. 127 

Tokay Essence, 

This essence keeps without any further prepara- 
tion, and is highly valued; though it always re- 
mains thick and muddy. 

Tokay Atubruch, 

This is the next variety of wine, to obtain which 
the trockenbeeren are trodden with the feet, and a 
portion of must from common grapes is poured over 
them — ^the quantity varying according to the nature 
of the grapes and the quality of the winie desired ; 
being for the richer sort 61 parts of essence and 84 
parts of wine. By this addition the aromatic prin- 
ciple, which in some of the Tokay grapes is very 
powerful, becomes more fully extracted from the 
skins. The mixture is now stirred strongly, and 
the hulls and seeds which rise to the surface are 
separated by means of a net or sieve. It is then 
covered over, and in forty-eight hours generally 
begins to ferment. The fermentation is allowed to 
continue three days or more, according to the state 
of the weather; and during its continuance the 
must is stirred morning and evening, and the seeds 
carefully taken out. When the process is thought 
to have sufBciently advanced, the liquor is strained 
through a cloth or sieve into the barrels in which it 
is to be kept ; but it does not become bright before 
the end of the following year. 



128 WINES OF HUNGARY. 

ThTcay Mashs 

Eesembles the former, and is made precisely in 
the same manner, differing only in the proportion 
of its constituents — it contains 61 parts of essence 
and 169 parts of wine. 

When new, the Tokay wines are of a brownish 
yellow color, and exhale an odor which has been com- 
pared to the smell of the pumpernickel (a species of 
bread used in some parts of Germany, and made of 
unbolted rye). When very old, the color is said to 
change to greenish. It has so peculiar a flavor of 
the aromatic kind, and is so luscious, that the taste is 
not easily forgotten ; it also has a slight harshness, 
perceptible to the palate, which is highly esteemed 
in some parts of Europe — its durability is very great, 
some of it having kept good for a century. It is 
highly odoriferous. "I have drunk," says Dr. Von 
Derezen, " some Tokay that was forty years old ; 
and which, on being poured into the glass, imme- 
diately filled the whole room with an aromatic 
ethereal odor." Although it abounds in saccharine 
matter, yet undergoing but an incomplete fermenta- 
tion, it is sometimes apt to fret and spoil, especially 
when the produce of wet seasons, and of grapes that 
have contracted any degree of mouldiness. The 
mode of making Tokay is after the manner of some 
of the ancient wines. 

An impression prevails that real Tokay is to 
be had only from the vineyards in the possession of 
the Emperor of Austria ; but this is erroneous, as it 



vugos of HuiraABT. 129 

is well known that from tixe vineyards in the pos- 
session of the nobles and land owners, wine equally 
excellent is produced. The Tokay wine certainly is 
enonnoosly dear, and even in Vienna it is rarely to 
be tasted. The praotioe of mingling the essence 
with the commcm wines has given the latter a cele- 
brity which they scarcely deserve, and lessened the 
quantity of the essence sold. It is occasionally to be 
purchased in Vienna, but at enormous prices, $60 
to $175 per dozen having been given for it; an ex- 
emperoir of Austria was known to pay so high as seven 
ducate the bottle for 2,000 bottles of Tokay ; and at 
the late Duke of Queensbury's sale, several years 
since, in London, the Tokay in his cellars realized 
the extravagant sum of $50 per bottle, about $5 the 
glass 1 1 

The value of Tokay is an example of the caprice 
of taste or fashion in wine. The rich muscadine of 
Syracuse, the Malmsey of Madeira, the lagrima of Ma- 
ltha, the Paxaretta of Xerez, and the Constantia of the 
Cape of Good Hope, are in many respects its equals, 
and by some esteemed superior to Tokay — ^its singu- 
larity of flavor distinguishes it from these wines, yet 
that flavor has nothing more than its singularity to 
recommend it, and, in point of purity and perfection, 
it certainly cannot be ranked with the highest 
grades of Claret, Burgundy, and Rhine wines. Few 
persons would prefer Tokay to wines very much its 
inferior in fame, did they dare to contradict the de- 
cision of fashion in its favor. 

Almost all the wines sold as Ausbruch Tokay, 
9 



i 

180 WINES OP HirNTGABT. 

are the produce of the Tokay vineyards in general 
St Oyorgy, (Edenburgh, nine German miles from 
Presburg, and Bust, Menez, in the county of Arad, 
and other vineyards, produce an Ausbruch Tokay 
of tolerable character. GyaBngysesch, near Mount 
Matra, produces red and white wines. The wine of 
Buda is red, and was once a &vorite wine in England. 
The Sexard resembles Bordeaux ; the Groswarden 
wine is of excellent body; Warwitz, in the Bannat, 
-produces wine which resembles Burgundy; The 
redMeneser Ausbruch, so called from the village of 
Menes, is by some preferred to Tokay. There are 
numerous other wines, both white and red, of a 
quality that entitles them to rank with those of any 
country; they are free from acidity, and combine 
with a delicious aroma and bouquet, a delicacy and 
flavor rarely met with except in the first growth 
French and German wines. 



CHAPTER XVI. 

OF THE WIlfBS OF GBEBOE. 

CLQCATB AND SOIL HIOHLT FROnXIOUS— SYSTEM OF BUNITFACTURS 
BAI>— CYPRUS — OOMMANDABIA, ITS FABULOUS RESTORATIVE 
PROPERTIES — OREAT DURABILITY — ^WOIES OF THE SUALLER 
GREEK ISLANDS. 

Throughout nearly the whole of Greece, the soil is 
highly favorable to the vine, and there is no country 
on earth -which yields such abundance of luscious 
fruit On the continent, the extensive ranges of 
mountains,' which intersect the country, are chiefly 
calcareous. The variety of climate and choice ex- 
posureSy which the elevated grounds present, serve 
to diversify, to an infinite degree,' the quality of the 
wines obtained ; and in many districts the method 
pufsued in the cultivation of the vine must be 
acknowledged to be far from injudicious. It is cut 
nearly to the root, and allowed to extend its branches 
laterally ; and in the best vineyards the employment 
of manure is avoided. Nothing, in shoirt, is wanting 
to procure a superior wine, but a more skilM treat- 
ment of the vintage, and the abandonment of those 
deleterious mixtures, which in conformity to long- 



182 WIKES OF GREECE. 

established prejudices, are still yery generaUy resort- 
ed to. The grapes for the most part are gathered 
indiscriminately, and thrown into an open cistern, 
where they are exposed to the full influence of the 
atmosphere ; and as they are often half dry before 
they are trodden, a quantity of water is added to 
them in order to &cilitate fermentation. Salt, bak- 
ed gypsum, and lime,, are used to correct the sweet- 
ness of the liquor ; and a portion of rosih is com- 
monly introduced, as in ancient times, to imitate the 
pungency of old wines. In some places, the product 
of the fermentation is collected in skins smeared 
with tar, which imparts a disagreeable flavor, and 
renders it unfit for use, until it has been mellowed 
by long keeping; but the poverty of the fitrm^rs 
will seldom allow them to adopt the proper means 
for preserving their wines. Hence it comes that 
the lighter growths often turn entirely acid in the 
course of a few months after the vintage ; and only 
the stronger wines will keep beyond the year. Jn 
those sitnations, however, which have been fiavored 
by commerce, and where subterraneoos cellars have 
been formed, wines of considerable age may be 
occasionally met with. 

Tfa« best Ghfeek wines are luscious and sweet 
Cyprus produces the finest and most cdebrated of 
this description — ^the hills on which the vine is culti- 
vated are covered with stones or flints, and a black- 
ish earth mixed with ochrous veim. Agros and 



WINES OF GRSEOE. 188 

Limassal produce the finest muscadine wines of 
Cyprus, some of which possess the consistence of 
oil, and may be kept to a great age ; they are rich 
dessert wines of excessive sweetness, and drink best 
at one or two years of age. 

So called as being the produce of a domain belong* 
ing to the Knights of Malta, and is held in the 
greatest estimation among the natives; it is a sweet 
?rine, improving in delicacy and flavor in proportion 
to ite age, and when forty years in cask is considered 
a balm. The wine of this island is &mous all over 
the Levant When new it is red ; but as it advances 
in age it grows tawny, nevertheless continuing to 
improve, till it surpasses almost all the other wines 
of the country. The Cyprians say when this wine is 
old it is a remedy for the tertian and quartan agues 
so prevalent in the island ; and to use the hyperboli- 
cal language of the Greeks, it is said to possess the 
power of restoring youth to age, and animation to 
those who are at the point of death. 

The age of Cyprus wine may be known by pour- 
ing it into a glass, and observing whether particles 
like oil adhere to the side ; this cannot be produced 
by art. Cold is injurious to this wine; it should be 
placed before a fire, if drank in the north during 
autumn or winter. "When in bottle for ten or twelve 
years, it more resembles Tokay essence than any 
other wine, but the Cyprians prefer keeping it in 



184 WINES OF GREECE. 

casks, where although exposed to the air it will keep 
good for any number of years. 

These wines, it is most probable, have under- 
gone little or no change since the days'of Strabo and 
Pliny, who reckon them amongst the most valuable 
in the world, and they keep good for an almost inde- 
finite period. After the conquest of Cyprus by the 
Turks, some of the wine found there was eighty years 
old ; it was sent to the Seraglio as a great rarity — 
it would kindle in the fire and bum like oil. It is 
stated of the Emperor Selim II., that he conquered 
Cyprus on account of its delicious wines, remarking 
on that occasion to Mustapha his general, " I propose 
to conquer Cyprus, an island which contains a treas- 
ure that none but the King of kings ought to pos- 
sess." 

Most of the smaller Greek islands produce wine. 
Naxos was formerly noted for its drunkards and its 
temple of Bacchus. At Pirgo much wine wa^ made 
about a century since. At Nicaria a white wine, 
very remarkable as a (^uretic, is made from vines 
which grow among the rocks. Milo has frequently 
exported wine to the other islands. Samos, the wine 
of which was thought in ancient times to be bad, is 
now noted for excellent Muscat ; large quantities of 
vines are grown there ; both red and white are 
manufactured, and Samian wine is held in considera- 
ble repute. Tenedos produces both dry and sweet 
wines ; its muscadine is famous, and its annual ex- 
portation is considerable. Santorini is remarkable 
for the sulphureous taste borne by its wine when new, 



WINES OF GBEECE. 135 

and for its vino sanio^ which is made firom white 
grapes exposed for seven or eight days on the roo& 
of the houses, then trodden or pressed, and ferment- 
ed in close casks ; it is a luscious wine and is princi- 
pally exported to Bussia. The wine of Meconi is 
so mingled with water to increase the quantity that 
few will purchase it Scio still produces wine 
called Homer's nectar, as it did two thousand years 
ago ; the white and black grapes are mingled to make 
this wine, which is in much esteem in the Archipel- 
ago. There is another kind, called Nectar, which 
until matured by age, strangers cannot relish — the 
grape is said to be styptic. Mista is the most renown- 
ed vineyard. 

The manu&cture of the Greek wines generally, is 
similar to the mode practised by the ancients two 
thousand years ago; the most of them are nauseous 
to foreigners, and unfit for consumption in t)iese 
countries. 

The Ionian Islands, as they are styled, which are 
in the possession of England, grow some good wines, 
whenever proper care is exerted in the management 
of the vintage. 



CHAPTER IVn. 

OF THE WIll^ES OF PERSIA. 

FERSL4. THE NATIVE COUHTRT OF THE TINE— H9ECRET Ain> EXCES- 
SIVE mSULGENCE OF THE TURKS ARD MOHAMMEDAITS — ^VARIE- 
TIES HADE AT SHIRAZ — GREAT SIXILARITT TO MADEIRA. 

Peesia is supposed to be the native country of the 
vine ; and this opinion seems to receive confirmation 
from the extraordinary perfection to which its fruit 
there attains. Grapes every where abound, and their 
quality is excellent. At Shiraz, they are described 
as growing to a size and fullness hardly to be equal- 
led in other climates. 

The Mohammedan religion, prohibiting the use 
of wine to its followers, tends to restrict the manu- 
facture to those places where the Jews, Armenians, 
or Hindoos, form part of the population. But the 
Persians have always been less scrupulous observers 
of this precept of the Koran, than the other Mussul- 
mans ; and several of their kings, unable to resist 
the temptation, or conceiving themselves above the 
law, have set an example of drunkenness, which 
has been very generally followed by their subjects. 

Many Persians indulge secretly in wine, and 



WINES OF PERSIA. 137 

generally to excess ; as thej can imagine no pleasure 
in its use, unless it produce the full delirium of 
intoxication, and flatter themselves they diminish 
the sin, by drinking only such as is made by infidels. 
The Jews and Armenians prepare wine on purpose 
for the Mohammedans by adding lime, hemp, and 
other ingredients, to increase its pungency and 
strength ; for the wine that soonest intoxicates is 
counted the best, and the lighter and more delicate 
kinds are held in no estimation among the adherents 
of the prophet 

The Turks, both in Persia and the neighboring 
countries, when they take the forbidden draught, 
laugh at Christians for mingling water with it ; and 
yet if they but spill a single drop upon their own 
garments, however valuable they may be, they im- 
mediately throw them away as polluted; they always 
intoxicate themselves, for which purpose the wines 
are drugged as already described. 

Tavernier says, that Shah Abbas II. was much 
addicted to wine, but did not on that account neglect 
state affidrs. Sir John Ghardin states much the same, 
'and informs us that his successor, Solyman, loved 
wine and women to great excess, and being always 
drunk, was exceedingly cruel in consequence. His 
son Hussein Abbas, was so struck with the ill effects 
of wine, probably from his father's example, that he 
forbade the use of it in his dominions, until his 
mother feigned illness, and her physicians declared 
that nothing but wine could save her life, on which 
he became, as his two predecessors had been, a slave 



188 WINES OF PEBSIA. 

to the love of the juice of the grape ; and the result 
was more fatal to Hussein than it proved to them. 

The Armenians at Chialful were formerly great 
drunkards, though not pro&ne or quarrelsome in 
their cups, like their fellow-christians who drink 
port wine, but instead were doubly devotional, and 
when very much intoxicated poured forth incessant 
prayers to the Virgin. 

The principal vineyards are in the environs of 
Shiraz, and are situated at the foot of the mountains 
to the northwest of the town, where the soil is rocky, 
and the exposure extremely favorable. The vines 
are kept low, but occasionally supported by stakes. 

No wine under one name possesses such a variety 
of qualities as Shiraz : the best white wine should 
taste a little sweet, accompanied with the flavor of 
dry Madeira, to which, when old, it is not at all in- 
ferior, in the opinion of some who drank it in the 
country ; but others say that it scarcely deserves to 
be classed with the best growths of that wine. 

Of late years, the manufacture of wine, even at 
Shiraz, has "been neglected, and it is much to be 
feared that the produce of the still has taken its 
place with the Mohammedans in their covert obla- 
tions to Bacchus. 



CHAPTER XVIII. 

OF THE WINES OF THE CAPE OF GOOD HOPE. 

THEm INFERIOR QUALITIES — CONSTAITTIA AND CAFE HOCK EXCEP- 
TIONS. 

These wines hardly merit a passing notice; the 
greatest proportion of them are execrable, and would 
be utterly unknown were it not that being the pro- 
duce of the British possessions in Southern Africa, 
they are admitted into Great Britain on the payment 
of one half the duties chargeable on other wines. 
The soil is uncongenial to the plant, and the dirty 
slovenly mode in which the wine is manufactured 
renders it any thing but agreeable to the palate. 

The only exceptions deserving notice are the 
growths of Constantia and a wine called Cape Hock ; 
the soil in this locality is of a better quality than in 
the other vineyards, consisting chiefly of decompos- 
ed sand-stone. The vintage, too, is conducted with 
greater care; the grapes being picked and freed 
fix>m the stalks and other impurities, before they are 
pressed. As the whole quantity of sweet wine made 
in the two vineyards does not exceed one hundred 
pipes, the price is necessarily high. 



140 WINES OF THE CAPE OF GOOD HOPE. 

Although the vintages of Constantia are exempt 
from any disagreeable taste, and are deservedly es- 
teemed for their surpassing richness, yet in point of 
flavor and aroma they yield to the muscadine wines 
of Languedoc, and the Malmsies of Paxaretta and 
Malaga. It is chiefly, therefore, owing to their vari- 
ety and extreme costliness that they have acquired 
such celebrity. 



CHAPTER XIX. 

MIBOSLLANIES. 

YTSjm THEOLOGICUM — ^VINO SANTO— FURE JVICE — ^VIH DE LIQUEUR 
— ^Vni roU — FBOZEH WINE — DIBS — COVEBINO WINES— BOILED 
WINES — ^TERHS* 

Vtnum Theologicmn. 

For a long time the choicest growthd, not only in 
France, but in other countries, were raised on lands 
belonging to the church ; and the vinum iheologtcum 
was justly held superior to all other wines. The 
rich chapters and monasteries were always more stu- 
dious of the quality than of the quantity of their vint- 
ages; their grounds were tilled with the greatest 
care, and their vines were managed in the most ju- 
dicious manner ; nor did they reject a plant that 
bore but sparingly, provided there was no falling off 
in the goodness of the wine which it supplied. 
Moreover, in the middle ages it is Well known 
that the clergy were almost the sole depositories of 
. learning ; and the continued opportunities of obser- 
vation and study which their retired pursuits afford- 
ed them, had probably brought them acquainted, at 



142 MISCELLANIES. 

a very early period, with the best methods of direct- 
iog the fermentation of the grape, and meliorating 
the produce. When their domains passed into the 
hands of laymen, the same assidaity and skill were 
seldom shown in the culture of the vines, or treat- 
ment of the vintage ; and, in many instances, the old 
plants which yielded the most valued wines, were * 
rooted out, to make room for others that gave a 
more abundant supply, but of inferior character. 

After all, it is impossible that any thing approxi- 
mating to the truth can be known of these wines, 
or indeed of any wines no longer back than the 
middle ages. The aroma, the perfume, the exquis- 
ite delicacy, which distinguish the modern wines of 
France, were, it is very reasonable to believe, un- 
known two or three centuries ago. We find that 
the wine districts which were once celebrated are 
now very indifferent, or the palates of our fore- 
fathers must have been much less refined than our 
own. That the wines of France once praised highly, 
and now deemed of third-rate quality, may not, in 
reality be much altered by time, is very probable. 
When the ladies of nobles made their break&st, in 
England, on salt junk and strong beer as luxuries, 
it is very likely that the taste of the wine-drinkers 
on the continent, a few miles to the south, was after 
a pattern equally coarse, and that in reality it is 
modern refinement, rather than the deterioration of 
the wine, which induces a belief that either the 
climate, soil, or wine, in particular places is greatly 
fallen off. That a vineyard may deteriorate from 



MISCELLANIES. 148 

neglect or want of care, or through bad planting, 
there is no doubt ; and in our time, where the taste is 
so nicely adjusted, any declension in quality is soon 
perceived ; but our forefathers were hard men, and 
the strength, rather than the flavor of wine, was 
their criterion of its excellence. 

There is a tendency in some writers, not only 
those who write about the vine, but upon other sub- 
jects, to praise that which, from lapse of time, they 
can judge nothing at all about, and t% ascribe to 
all causes but those reconcilable to reason, changes 
which, if not imaginary in themselves, are very easily 
accounted for on simple principles. There are spots 
in France, the wines of which it was once the fashion 
to praise highly, which are now deemed very inferior 
in rank. Fashion and taste are for ever changing, 
and these alone might contribute to account for 
what are easily to be traced up to their causes by an 
exertion of common sagacity. 

Vino Santo, 

At the Athenian festivals in heroic times it was 
the custom at the conclusion of the dinner to hand 
round pure wine : but before it was drunk, a portion 
of it was poured upon the ground or table, as an 
oblation to Jupiter — the wine used on these occasions 
was of the red sweet class, probably because it was 
the richest and strongest, or was the customary 
dessert wine. It may be remarked that the same 
kind of wine is still, employed for sacramental pur- 
poses in various parts of Europe ; and the appellation 



IM HISCEIiULNlXS. 

of vino santo, which is given by the Italians to their 
most loscions growths, is probably allusiye to this 
circumstance. 

Pure Juice. 

Wine, whatever may be its quality, sweet or dry, 
abounding in alcohol or weak in spirit, if it be the 
pure juice of the grape alone after due fermentation 
without the admixture of brandy, is what may be 
properly termed pure wine orpurejuice^ which term 
is as applicable to the dry wines of the Medoc and 
Bhine as to the su)eet Malmsies of Spain and Madeira, 
or the Vins de Liqueur of France. 

Vtns de Liqueur. 

What are called in France vins de liqueur, are 
those in which the saccharine principle has not 
entirely disappeared, and been changed into alcohol, 
during the process of fermentation. Wines of this 
sort abound, both red and white. Of these are the 
sweet wine of Cyprus, the Eivesaltes, Tokay, the 
Malmsies of Spain and Madeira, and similar kinds. 
Unfortunately, the wines sold under this name are 
not always genuine ; the practice of adulteration, by 
which the more valuable qualities of this species of 
wine are deteriorated, is but too common, and it is 
less liable to detection than in dry wines. 

Vtn Fou. 

At MouHns, in France, they make a species of 
wine called " vinfm,'^ or mad wine, or rather drunk- 



mscnsLLANiis. 145 

ards vnne.^ They fill a small strong bound eask^ 
having no bang, with must; this they put into 
another cask and plunge into the vat, from which 
it is not withdrawn until the fermentation ceases. 
This wine is very intoxicating. 

Frozen Wine. 

In some of the wine countries a custom prevails 
of exposing wines in large casks during the severity 
of the winter in the open air; the watery particles by 
this means becoming frozen on the top, the vinous 
portion is concentrated, and the wine drawn off from 
the bottom of the cask is distinguished for great 
strength, flavor and durability. To this practice of 
freezing wine, Ovid in his letter to Yestalis at Rome 
makes allusion, and lamenting the situation he was 
in during exile, bitterly complains that not only 
was the Euxine frozen, but even the wine he was to 
drink. Virgil also refers to the freezing of wine, 
when describing the misery and hardship of a 
Scythian winter : 

"The brazen canldrona with a tto&t are flawed; 
The garment, stiff with ice, at heart ifl thawed : 
With axes first they cleave the wine, and thenoe, 
By weight the solid portions they dispense." 

Experiments made by Mr. Parks on wine expos- 
ed to a degree of cold 22^ below the freezing point, 
throws a doubt upon this subject. This gentlenum 
states that he could not find any difference in taste 
between the frozen and unfrozen portionSi and he 
10 



146 MISCELLANIES. 

even thought the fluid part tasted more vapid than 
the other. The proportions were as follows. Of 
t^ort wine 660 grains froze, aud 680 remained liquid. 
Of Sherry exposed in a similar situation, 288 grains 
were &ozeD, and 1,066 remained liquid. 

Diba. 

This compound originated in the prohibition 
placed upon the use of fermented and intoxicating 
liquors by the Mohammedan religion. The grape 
juice, therefore, instead of being converted into wine 
is chiefly boiled down to a syrup, which under the 
name of '' dibs" is much used in the East by all 
classes where there are vineyards, as a condiment 
with their food — ^the grape juice is put into large 
boilers, and reduced to one half or possibly one third 
of the original quantity. It is then removed to large 
earthen jars, and subjected to a process not unlike 
churning, which is repeated for a few days until it 
thickens. When properly churned or beaten, but 
little separation of the particles takes place. It is 
represented to be a pleasant article for table use, 
and decidedly preferable to molasses I Of this pre- 
paration it is said that in the first half of the eight- 
eenth century, three hundred camel loads, or nearly 
thirty thousand pounds weight, were annually sent 
from Hebron to Egypt. The name dibs^ by which it 
is known in the East, is said to be the 'same as the 
original Hebrew word which in many passages of 
Scripture is rendered honey. 



MISGSLLANIES. 147 

Chvering Wines. 

In several districts in France, as well as other 
wine coantries, the manufacture of strong dark wines, 
for the purpose of mixing with the lighter growths 
of other provinces, forms a principal branch of com- 
merce. To attain this object the fermentation is 
continued an undue length of time ; the murk is 
trodden in the vat, and the harsh mtist that is pro- 
cured by the operation of the press, is mixed with 
the first produce of the vat. Many of these wines, 
though abounding in strength and color, contain 
from the beginning the germs of a speedy decay ; 
the crust which by the treading in the vat had been 
mingled with the already fermented wine, imparta 
the acidity which it had contracted from the con- 
tact of the atmospheric air ; and the mixture of 
juice subsequently pressed from the murk, has the 
effect of adding a large quantity of mucilaginous 
extractive matter, which accelerates the decomposi- 
tion of the liquor, and it is usually deemed neces- 
sary to throw in a portion of brandy to check its 
tendency to spoil. 

Boiled Wines. 

Boiled wines {vinscuit^ French, vinocoUo, Italian,) 
themselves are of ancient date, having, it is suppos- 
ed passed from Asia into Greece. They are com- 
mon in Italy, Spain, and France. The ripest and 
finest grapes are selected, generally of the Musca- 
dine species, gathered during the hottest part of the 



148 MISCELLANISa 

day, in order that they may be free from dew, and 
humidity of every kind. They are careftdly moved, 
laid upon hurdles, and exposed for five or six suc- 
cessive days to the sun's most ardent rays, turning 
them at least three or four times every day. They 
are then trodden out, as is the usage with the com- 
mon grape at the vintage. 

The must is placed over a clear fire, with as 
little smoke as possible. The wine must be boiled 
until it is reduced to one third of its original quan- 
tity. It is then skimmed and poured into clear 
wooden vessels to remain until cool, after which it is 
barrelled up close. This wine is very pleasant to 
to the taste, of a deep amber color, delicate and gen- 
erous. Corsica is famous for such wines, which are 
treated so judiciously by boiling, that in the north 
of Europe they are taken for Malmsey, and sweet 
Canary. When very old they are often passed off 
for Cyprus, Tinto or Malaga, of the best kind, as 
the owner may wish them to appear. Boiling is 
also adopted to make new wine have the appearance 
of old. For this purpose, it is raised in tempera- 
ture close to the boiling point, barrelled and bunged 
up directly, and in three months it is found possessed 
of the character of wine kept for some years. 

TERMS 

Employed in describing properties and peculiarities of 

Wtnes, 

Dry, — Wine that contains bnt a small proportion of saccharine 
matter— free from sweetness. 



MISCELLANIES. 149 

F^ntity. — ^Wiiie that tastes soft and fresh — ^neither sweet nor 
astringent. 

Cfreett. — ^Wine that is new and harsh flayored. 

Mature. — ^Wine that has arrived at the point when it should be 
dmnk. 

Murk.— The husks of the grape remaining in the yat after the 
wine has been drawn off. 

Must. — ^The juice of ripe grapes obtained by pressure. 

Pricked. — ^Wine that is touched with acidity. 

BUh, — ^Wine that contains a large proportion of saccharine 
matter. 

Stalky. — ^Wlne that is affected with astringency and fiayor of 
the vine wood. 

Woody. — Wine that has imbibed the flavor of the cask. 

The phrases used by the French are rather more 
difficult of comprehension, and it may not be amiss 
here to state the chief terms applied by them to 
wines. 

Aroma Spiritueux. — The flavor that strikes the palate immedi- 
ately on tasting, similar to bouquet as the smell. 

Bouquet. — ^The aromatic odor perceived on drawing the cork of 
any of the finer wines, on their exposure to the air ; it is not a 
single perfhme, but a union of several agreeable odors. 

Dur. — ^Wine that is harsh flavored. 

Event. — Wine that is flat. 

Ferme. — ^Wine that is durable, not likely to change. 

Finir ^im.— Wine that is past probability of change, and that 
will drink out well. 

Fumeux. — Wine of much strength and quickly affecting the 
head fW>m alcohol. 

Mimtant.^Wine that affects the head fVom carbonic gas. 

Poteua;.— Wine that is thick and clammy, adhering to the 
month. 

P2a^-Wine that is without body or spirit. 

S^ife, — ^Nearly the same meaning as " aroma spiritueux.'' 

Vehuti.-^Wine of a good color, velvety on the tongue, smooth 
or soft, as all good wine should be when fit for drinking. 



CHAPTER XX. 

OF THE CONBEBVATION OF WINES, 

▲MBUORATIOff — ^A6E AND MATUBETT — ^KEEFENG OF WIHES — WtSE 

CELLAB — ^FUHGL 

Amelioration. 

LilTLB advantage is gained by tlie production of a 
good wine, if due care be not taken to preserve it 
from decay, and to bring it by skilful management 
to that maturity and perfection which it can alone 
derive from age. 

All wines may be regarded as containing within 
themselves the principles of improvement as well as 
decay. Considerable skill and attention is neces- 
sarily required by the manufacturer abroad, after 
the first fermentation process is over, to bring the 
wines to the necessary stability and perfection for 
export (for it is right to observe that all wines 
undergo various changes beside the process of 
secondary fermentation). It may perhaps appear 
premature to attempt an explanation of the changes 
that take place in a production, of which even not 
all the constituent principles are as yet thoroughly 
known ; and with our present insufficient methods 



CONSKBVATION OP WINKS. 151 

of analysis, any great approach to precision on this 
matter is not to be expected. 

Wine is known to be most liable to ascency at 
those seasons of the year when there is the greatest 
tendency to a renewal of fermentation. In Spring 
this effect is produced by a transition from cold to 
heat ; in Autumn by the frequent and sudden 
vicissitudes of temperature, which are common about 
that period, causing a corresponding expansion or 
condensation of the liquor, and of the air contained 
in the cask. The disposition to acidity is always 
augmented by the presence of the lees, and other 
impurities of the wine. Hence the necessity of 
racking into clean vessels before each equinox, and 
of fining it immediately after racking, if not suffi- 
ciently clear. 

From a series of experiments which have been 
tried, it is proved that the melioration of wines in 
the wood is partly, if not principally, effected by the 
disengagement of a portion of their alcohol and 
water, while the remaining ingredients become more 
firm and concentrated ; and this melioration is best 
accomplished in such vessels as most effectually retain 
the spirituous, while they allow the aqueous particles 
to transude. Even should the alcohol escape in the 
larger proportion, as appears to be the case with 
Rhine wines, when kept any length of time in the 
cask, the more delicate qualities of the wine are 
nevertheless materially heightened. No wines re* 
ceive so much improvement by evaporation as those 
which contain a large quantity of adventitious spirit ; 



152 GONSXRVATIOK 01^ WINES. 

hence the advantage of transporting wines of this 
description to a tropical climate, or exposing tbem 
to the influence of artificial heat ; the improvement 
which takes place in the flavor subjected to this pro- 
cess is particularly striking. The rapid evaporation 
and strong secondary fermentation that ensues on 
exposure to heat, neutralizes in a great degree the 
acid principle in the wine. 

These considerations naturally lead us to the 
inquiry, which is of some importance,— whether 
large or small vessels are to be preferred for the con- 
servation of wines? It is certain that the rough and 
strong vintages of the Rhine are most thoroughly 
mellowdd in large casks, but that the delicate growths 
are most advantageously kept in small. In the latter 
case, however, it is obvious that the evaporation 
must proceed more rapidly, from the comparatively 
larger surface exposed; while, in the former, the 
secondary fermentation will be quickened by the 
greater bulk of the fluid. The size of the cask 
ought, therefore, to be determined by the nature of 
the process we think most likely to promote the 
melioration of the wine. That which is of a strong 
full body, and contains much mucilaginous extractive 
matter, like Fort, will be most effectually mellowed 
in large tuns ; while the finer white wines, the mar 
turity of which depends on the concentration of the 
more solid constituents, will be soonest brought to 
perfection in vessels of moderate capacity. It must 
be acknowledged, however, that no invariable rules 
can be laid down on this subject. Much will depend 



CONSEBVAnON OF WINSa 153 

not only on the original quality of the vintage, but 
also on the stage of the secondary feimentation 
which it may have reached. When wines have 
attained perfection, their excellence is better con- 
served in small casks than large, and better again in 
bottle. M. Yon Soemmering, after some experiments 
directed to ascertain if possible the actual truth, 
recommends that wine should be kept in glass vessels 
having their orifices closed with bladder. He asserts 
it ameliorates much quicker by that mode of treat- 
ment, and he took great pains to ascertain the fact 
He found that water escaped through dried bladder, 
but that the spirituous portion of the wine would not 
do so with equal facility. He, therefore, prefers 
glass to wood, in every state of amelioration ; and 
covered with bladder, he asserts that wine will mel- 
low more in twelve months in glass, than in the 
cask in twelve years ; but this mode of conservation 
is only adapted to the strong white wines, such as 
Madeira and Sherry. 

Age and Maturity. 

It is a mistaken notion to suppose that the value 
of any wine depends upon its great age ; wines of 
ordinary quality arrive at maturity in a comparatively 
short period, and should not be kept over. Some- 
times brandy is added to these kind of wines to make 
them keep, but this only destroys their vinous pro- 
perties. Age softens what the French call the 8h;e 
of the finer wines, or their spirituous aroma, but it 
is often fatal to the bouquet. Wines lose their bou- 



1 



154 CONSEEVATION OP WINES. 

quet by being kept too long, and there is no question, 
too, but that when wine begins to lose its alcoholic 
strength it ceases to improve in flavor. There' is 
always a middle age, a maturity of years, so to speak, 
equally removed from the extremes of youth and 
senility, in which the finer wines should, if possible, 
be drunk. When they lose any thing of their vir- 
tues or good qualities it is certain that this maturity 
is past, although the wine may keep good for a 
long while, perhaps for many years. It is an error 
caught up from the notion that old axioms are indis- 
criminately correct, — it is an error to suppose that 
the wine which will keep long should only be drank 
when it will keep no longer. Mere age is no crite- 
rion of the excellence of wine, though a certain age 
is necessary to carry it to the state when it is best 
for the table. Wines differ in the quality of endu- 
rance, and proportionably in the time requisite for 
improvement. Burgundy of the first class, it is an 
acknowledged fact, will support itself to twenty 
years, but after twelve or fourteen it does not in the 
least improve ; and the third year in bottle, or the 
sixth from the vintage, is the time when it is most 
perfect in every good quality for which the wine is 
famed. Good Champagne, on the contrary, will often 
be found to improve for ten or fifteen years, and 
will support itself until thirty, and sometimes until 
it is forty years old. The best age for the use of 
this wine is about twelve years. On the other hand, 
Hock is not in full perfection until it is forty years 
old, and it will keep four times that term. The 



CONSERVATION OP WINKS. 156 

lascions wines keep long, and the dry wines, such as 
Madeira, Sherry, and others of a similar class, endure 
for a long term. But this endurance is in no case a 
proof that wine, at the extreme point of its durability, 
is in the highest perfection ; for, on the contrary, the 
term age can only be rationally used when intended 
to comprehend the fitness of wine for drinking, and 
to describe that which is arrived at maturity, as the 
word " new" might explain wine not yet arrived at 
the full development of its qualities for use. Age in 
wine beyond the point of maturity is no virtue, 
although vulgarly supposed to be so. As in human 
beings it does not mend the subject, although it may 
be borne well. 

Keeping Wines. 

Wine fit to drink of its kind is an expensive 
luxury, especially when it counts a great age and 
has been matured in foreign climates; it should 
therefore rest well in the best adapted situation pos- 
sible previous to going into consumption. Neither 
the perfect affinity of Hock, nor the potent quality 
of the stronger wines, will prevent both from being 
affected in bad cellars ; while the delicate first-class 
French are completely spoiled, the red going in all 
cases quicker than the white. 

It is incredible how soon the French and Ger- 
man wines deteriorate in bad localities ; these deli- 
cate and exquisitely flavored wines will only keep 
in a moderate and fixed temperature, and should be 
stored in a cool cellar not exceeding 50° Fahrenheit 



166 CONSBBVATION OF WINKS. 

the whole year round. Being very sensible to ex- 
ternal impressions, they are 'sure to deteriorate by 
exposure to atmospheric influence and sudden vari- 
ations of temperature, while the strong wines of 
Spain, Madeira, and Portugal, appear to escape in- 
jury. 

The object in keeping wine in a fixed moderate 
temperature is to prevent either its contraction or 
expansion, which is found to be detrimental to its 
quality. Extreme heat causes expansion and a 
renewal of fermentation ; extreme cold causes con- 
traction, and neutralizes the flavor. It is believed 
that new Madeira and other strong white wines are 
improved by exposure to a high temperature, and 
that the Bhine wines acquire strength by extreme 
cold. However, the result of experience proves 
that all mature, perfect wiues, whether strong or 
weak, are best kept in a temperature with the ther- 
mometer ranging between 50^ and 55°. 

Champagne is a wine which requires much atten- 
tion in keeping. The bottles should be carefully laid 
on their sides, packed in sand, in a cool cellar where 
air is admitted; they never should be placed on 
their bottoms, as from this cause they will very 
speedily lose their effervescence. When once placed 
they should not be touched, except for removal to 
the table ; and if they are left in the cases the mark 
of the upper side should be carefully attended to. 
The Sillery is sometimes apt to effervesce after car- 
riage, or in being placed in bad cellars. The bottles 
should in that case be placed on their bottoms for 



OONSKRVATION OF WINES. 157 

some time, and before drinking the wine should be 
kept an hour in ice. The most esteemed of the ef- 
fervescing wines is the VIN cremant d'Ay, which 
is the least frothy and fullest bodied. Deep cellars 
are best for Champagne, and as little variation of 
temperature as possible. The older it gets, the less 
liable it is to be attacked by changes to its disad- 
vantage. The better this wine is, the more it is lia- 
ble to accident from heat, cold, or bad cellars; it 
I will, however, in most cases, very soon recover it- 

self The preceding remarks, it is hardly necessary 
to say, apply exclusively to the finest qualities. A 
great proportion of the Champagne sent into this 
country is not only inferior, but spurious; such 
wines, therefore, it is desirable to bring into imme- 
diate consumption, for they will not keep any length 
of time. 

The French and German wines in cask should 
be placed on the stillion with the bung at one side, 
in order to exclude air, and to prevent evaporation 
as much as possible. In bottles they should be in- 
variably laid on the side : this rule admits of no 
exception. Port and other strong red wines should 
be likewise so placed ; and even the strong white 
wines are better kept in a horizontal than an upright 
position. The rich wines de liqueur of all countries 
should be placed on their ends, being liable to pro- 
tracted fermentation. 

Saw-dust may be used for packing Port wine in 
the cellar-bins, but laths or sand is best adapted for 
the delicate French and German, and indeed for all 



168 OONSBBVATION OF WINES. 

wines. Good sand, well washed in fresh water, has 
an admirable effect in keeping wine fresh and cool, 
particularly sand in which quartz prevails to a con- 
siderable extent, as it keeps the wine fresh by its 
peculiar coolness. 

Avoid disturbing wines ; the more you do so, 
the more you expose them to lose their brilliancy. 

Wine CkUar, 

For the proper conservation of wines, the cellars 
should be constructed of good stone or brick, and 
at such a depth as to secure an even temperature 
throughout the year. The following points should 
receive consideration, viz., the changes of the ex- 
ternal atmosphere must not penetrate to the re- 
cesses; foul air must be excluded; the temperature 
of 60^ Fahrenheit is the best that can be kept up 
throughout the year. 

" A wine-oeUar too hot or cold 
Murders wine before it is old." 

Cellars should not be built or used where a vi- 
bratory motion exists from the constant traffic of 
vehicles — the back of buildings is preferable to 
the front for this reason — no disagreeable odors 
should be suffered to corrupt the air near the en- 
trance of a good wine cellar, in the smallest possible 
degree — cellars should be kept scrupulously clean 
— whitewashing and cleanliness are indispensable 
where wine is kept — and sulphur should be now 



CONSERVATION OP WINES. 159 

and then burned, if carbonic acid is formed — double 
doors are essentially needful, about four or five feet 
within each other, so that one may be closed before 
the other is opened. The apertures for the admis- 
sion of air should not pass out in direct lines, so as 
to admit light, but should be made like those in 
powder magazines, in this form \, and only be 
opened occasionally, when the temperatare is with- 
in and out alike. If the site be eligible for win- 
dows they should be of glass, double, one about two 
inches within the other, hermetically closed, and 
shaded externally by projecting covers, so as to 
exclude every ray of sunshine ; or they should be 
on the northern exposure, and the light admitted 
should be barely sufficient for faintly distinguishing 
the objects the cellar may contain — no acid or liquor 
of any kind, which is in a state of acetous fermen- 
tation, or likely to become in that state, should ever 
find admission. 

The brilliancy of the finer wines should be most 
cautiously attended to, as well as the flavor; the 
preservation of these depends more upon the neat- 
ness and perfection of the cellar than many persons 
are inclined to admit. 

The majority of wine cellars in private houses 
are not at all adapted for expensive delicate wines. 
Hence people so often complain, after they have re- 
ceived wine in excellent condition from the mer- 
chant, that it does not drink as well as it did at first^ 
that it is a wine that will not keep, and that they 
have been imposed upon in the purchase, when 



160 CONSERVATION OF WINEa 

the cellar or mode of keeping alone has been ia 
faults 

Fmigi, 

Wine escaping from the cask, in a moist or ill- 
ventilated cellar, will wholly reaolve itself into a 
substantial fungi. A circumstance of this nature, 
which presented itself to the observation of Sir 
Joseph Banks, is very curious. Having placed a 
cask of wine in his cellar to ripen, at the expiration 
of three years he ordered his butler to ascertain its 
condition. Upon attempting to open the door, it 
was found impossible to do so, in consequence of 
some powerful obstacle within. The door was 
therefore cut down; when the cellar was found 
completely filled with a firm, fungous vegetable 
production, so substantial that an axe was required 
for its removal. The cask was found empty against 
the ceiling, where it had been lifted by the upward 
growth of this monster specimen of the genus 
Fungi. 

This noxious matter is scrupulously preserved in 
many of the cellars of London wine merchants ; for 
what purpose it is a puzzle to conjecture, except it 
be a silly predilection for the appearance of anti- 
quity; its existence in cellars where wines are 
stored is unquestionably injurious. 



CHAPTER XXI. 

OF THE UlXma OF WIKES. 

DESCRIPnORS AND QUALITIES SOUaHT FOE DC GOOD WINES — THE 
DIFFICT7LTY OF FBOCURING FEBFECT WHIE, ESFECIALLT PORT — 
THE WINES OF FRANCE AMONG THE PUREST — SWEET WINES 
EAST OF IMITATION — HIGH COLOR — ^ARTIFICIAL FLAVORS AND 
SOPHISTICATIONS— ORIGIN OF THE PRACTICE, AND NECESSITT 
FOR ITS DISCONTINUANCE. 

Although there is no positive standard of taste in 
wines, and the demand for particular sorts is liable 
to great fluctuation, from the influence of fashion 
and caprice ; yet there are certain qualities which 
may be deemed essential, and with respect to which 
all men are agreed. Some persons may like the 
sweet, others the fruity, and others the decidedly 
dry wines ; some will prefer those of a light body, 
others a potent wine, and others wine of medium 
strength ; but no one will choose a flat and insipid 
vintage, in preference to that which is distinguished 
by the fulness of its body and richness of its flavor 
and perfume ; or w.hen purchasing a supply will be 
disposed to overlook the equally indispensable requi- 
sites of firmness and durability. These qualities^ 
11 



162 mhino of wines. 

however, are seldom found combined, except in first- 
rate wines, which being grown in very limited 
quantity, sell at high prices, and are procured with 
diflSculty. Indeed, generally speaking, they may be 
said to be little known. Even the secondary wines 
are not easily to be had pure and unadulterated, but 
frequently undergo preparation before they are 
brought to market. Of some of these prepara- 
tions, and of the manner in which they affect the 
qualities of the commodity, mention has been made 
in the foregoing chapters. 

The number of hands through which wine usual- 
ly passes before it reaches the consumer, the great 
difference in price between the first-rate and the 
inferior sorts, and the prevailing ignorance with 
respect to their distinguishing characters, afford so 
many facilities and temptations to firaud and impo- 
sition in this- branch of trade, that no buyer, however 
great his eaution, however just his taste, is wholly 
secure against them. It is undoubtedly the interest 
of the grower to raise as large a quantity of the 
prime kinds as he possibly can ; and it is equally 
the interest of the merchant to gain the favor of his 
customers by: furnishing them with wines which will 
give satisfection. But let the growers be ever so 
honestly inclined, they cannot always supply the 
commodity in as equal and perfect a state as they 
could wish^ for not to mention those defects in the 
nature of the soils, which necessarily restrict the 
production of fine wines within certain limits, there 
is a continual variation in the quality of every sort 



Kousia OF wiNEa 163 

of wine, aocordinglj as the seasons prove more or 
less favorable. Gtood vintages are in &ct of much 
rarer occurrence than is commonly imagined; at 
least in those countries where the grape does not 
attain an early maturity — ^the number of propitious 
years does not amount to an average of more than 
one in every six. Under these circumstances the 
&rmer, or merchant, who has been so fortunate as to 
save any portion of the better vintages, uses it for 
the purpose of mingling it with such feeble and 
perishable wines as would otherwise remain unsale- 
able, and could not be preserved for any length of 
time in their natural state. It is sometimes desirable 
to mix the rougher and higher-colored red wines 
with a certain portion of generous white wine, 
which softens their harshness, and renders them 
much sooner drinkable than they would otherwise 
be ; for which reasons these mixtures are by many 
preferred to the purer kinds, which require to be 
long kept before their full flavor and aroma are 
developed. These observations have particular ref- 
erence to Port wines : of upwards of thirty thousand 
pipes annually shipped from Oporto, not more than 
one tenth can be classed with wines of superior 
quality ; the demand being chiefly for ordinary and 
low-priced wines, the merchants average the quality 
by mixing one growth with another, good and bad, 
with brandy and other adjuncts, to meet the vitiated 
tastes of consumers, whose palates are already habit- 
uated to this artificial compound. 

In those provinces of France which yield the 



164 MIXING OF WINES. 

choicest wines, and carry on the most extensive 
trade in this commodity, the manner of proceeding 
is somewhat different. There the first growths 
being always in much request, and readily finding 
purchasers at the highest prices, are carefully pre- 
served in their genuine purity.* If they were mixed 
with the inferior sorts, the delicate flavors for which 
they are chiefly prized would be almost entirely 
destroyed; and the value of the wine so mixed 
would not compensate the sacrifice it required. The 
French merchants, therefore, keeping their finest 
wines pure, use only the secondary kinds, especially 
those which possess much spirit and body, for mix- 
ing with such as are of too thin and feeble quality 
to answer the purpose of commerce. In this way 
a. considerable portion of the ordinary wines of 
Medoc and other parts of the Bordelais, are render- 
ed fit for exportation, and come to us under the 
name of Claret. As this species of wine is in ex- 
tensive demand, and the districts do not afford a 
sufficient quantity of the stronger kinds for the 
preparation, the merchants are obliged to supply the 
deficiency by importations from the more southerly 
provinces of France, and even to have recourse to 
the thick and heavy vintages of Spain, which though 
deficient in flavor, possess the other requisite qual- 
ities. In making these mixtures the object of the 
Bordeaux merchant is not to imitate the produce of 
the first-rate vineyards, which he certainly could 
not accomplish even if he were to attempt it ; but 
merely to correct the defects of the common wines 



MIXING OF WINES. 165 

of the country, and to enable him to export them 
in larger quantities than he could othefwise pretend 
to do. The indefinite term Claret does not pledge 
him to furnish wine of any particular growth ; and 
if he only sells what goes by that name at a moder- 
ate price, the light wines of Medoc strengthened and 
improved in flavor by an addition of Hermitage, 
may. well satisfy his customers ; but if he vend the 
wine so named as the genuine produce of Lafite, 
Latour, or Ch&teaux Margaux, and exacts the price 
of a first-rate vintage, he resorts to an artifice, 
which will not succeed with the skilful, and ought 
not to be practised against the inexperienced. 

Although the same observation will, in general, 
apply to all attempts to counterfeit the choicer wines, 
yet there are certain kinds to the distinguishing 
qualities of which a somewhat nearer approach may 
be made by artificial admixtures. Of this description 
are the luscious sweet wines, the flavors of which 
though often very powerful, are less delicate than 
those of the dry class ; and are besides, to a certain 
degi'ee, obscured by the undecomposed saccharinet 
matter in which these wines abound. It is probably 
owing to the last-mentioned circumstance, or to the 
similarity of the grapes from which they are made, 
that many of them, though raised in different soils, 
resemble each other so closely as to render their 
discrimination a matter of some nicety. It is also 
worthy of remark, that, in proportion as the luscious 
wines advance in age, their characteristic differences 
are less perceptible. These circumstances afford 



166 laznra of wines. 

a facility of forming imitations of the rarer and more 
costly varieties of the dessert-wines, as substitutes 
for them in those countries where the genuine wines 
are seldom met with.* 

As high color is generally, though sometimes 
erroneously, considered a criterion of the excellence 
of particular wines; and as the vintages of unfavor- 
able seasons are almost always deficient in this par- 
ticular, it is frequently supplied by artificial means. 
For this purpose a variety of coloring matters are 
employed, such as the elderberry, beet root, log- 
wood, Brazil wood &c., all of which, though they 
may improve the tint, deteriorate the flavor and 
durability of the wine. 

Though the various sophistications, by means of 
heterogeneous ingredients, are not all equally repre- 
hensible, it is very certain that none of them are 
calculated to supply or improve the qualities of 
genuine wine. Even the communication of artificial 
flavors derived from fruits and aromatic herbs, which 
is the most innocent of any, is apt to affect the wine 
with a medicated taste, which, to a delicate palate, is 
immediately perceptible. The only legitimate mode 
of bettering wines is by the addition of such consti- 
tuents of the grape as the deficiencies of particular 
vintages appear to indicate ; and they ought to be 
employed as much as possible during the fermenta- 

* It is a well-known fact, that there is more Tokay sold on the 
continent of Europe and in England, in one year, than the limited 
space where it is grown, on the mountains of Hungary, will produce 
in twenty years. 



MIXING OF WINES. 167 

tion, or before the wine is completely formed. To 
certain kinds, intended for distant climates, the ad- 
mixture of a small quantity of brandy may be allow- 
able, but never to such an extent as to overcome the 
original flavor ; otherwise we impair their excellence 
and risk their partial decomposition. 

Generally speaking, no improvement can ever 
take place by mingling good wine with that of infe- 
rior quality. Perfect wine can only be made by 
superior combinations. Delicacy, color, aroma, bou- 
quet, transparency, are only to be retained by a strict 
adherence to this rule. A cloudy wine of little merit, 
is the result of a good mingled with an inferior 
growth. 

In justice to the Foreign Merchants, it must be 
admitted that these admixtures did not originate 
with them, but in the vitiated taste of consumers in 
former years. England has been long proverbial 
for partiality to strong brandied wines (except among 
the higher grades of society), and until of late years 
a similar taste was the prevailing standard in this 
country, but it has now in a great measure ceased to 
exist, and there is no doubt but with the improved 
taste of the present age, aided by more skilful and 
scientific methods in the culture of the vine, that the 
necessity for these practices will cease also. 

All these things go to prove the necessity of a 
great alteration in the commerce in wines, the prin- 
ciple of which will be that every wine shall bear its 
true designation. To this the good sense of the pub- 
lic must aid, by not declining wines for their name^ 
but their demerits sake. 



CHAPTER XXU. 

OF THE ADULTERATION OF WINES. 

TEMPTATIOK AKD FACILITY FOR THE PRACTICE OF FRAUD — ^BRAHDY 
AND SWEETNESS THE GRAND AGENTS — MODE OF DISCOVERING 
COUNTERFEIT WINES — ^SPURIOUS CHAMPAGNE — ^PORT — ^FOREIGN 
IMITATIONS. 

Of all articles of commerce there is none that offers 
a wider field for the most extensive and pernicious 
frauds than wine. It would occupy too much space 
in this work to enter fully into the extensive subject 
of the adulteration of wines. By adulteration of 
wine is not to be understood the mixture of two 
genuine growths for the sake of improvement, but 
in the first place, a clandestine amalgamation of an 
inferior kind of wine with one which is superior; 
and secondly, what may be denominated with more 
propriety the product gf fictitious operations passed 
off as genuine growths, having little or no grape 
juice in its composition. 

In the vile mixtures which constitute the inferior 
grades of all strong wines, the brandy and sweetness 
is the grand mask for concealing ill quality and base 
ingredient. The truth is, that brandy renders bad 



ADULTERATION OF WINES. 169 

wine potable, and reduces good wine to the medio- 
cre standard of bad win^ well brandied, and made 
according to the English taste, generated at first by 
this very practice. All wines, therefore, should be 
rejected that have the least flavor and heat of the 
brandy or an unusual sweetness. Brandy uniformly 
destroys the vinous qualities of wine, and its admix- 
ture is immediately productive of the loss of flavor 
and freshness of natural wine. It is to brandied 
wines that liver complaints in Great Britain are 
often owing, which are unknown in countries where 
wine is drunk pure. 

Ijarge quantities of fictitious wines are palmed 
oflF for genuine upon those who are supposed never 
to have drunk what is pure, and have no palate for 
judging (although affecting a discriminating taste), 
and it is reasonable to assume that the buyers and, 
consumers of cheap wines have been in most cases 
the sufferers, because the inferior grades are more 
easily imitated than the superior ; the peculiar quali- 
ties for which wine is prized are of a delicate nature, 
and those who are accustomed to drink such, can 
very easily detect the inferior and drugged article. 

Adulterated wines when drunk may not imme- 
diately show their pernicious qualities, except 
through the head or stomach of the consumer — ^a 
little time in the wine cellar, however, will general- 
ly dissolve the charm, by separating the ingredients 
that conceal the fraud, and leaving a " caput mar* 
tuum" 

Counterfeits are to be detected satisfactorily only 



170 ADULTERATION OF WINBIS. 

through means of their sensible qualities, or chemical 
analjzation, or by an experienced connoisseur or 
merchant; but the best test against inferior or adul- 
terated wine is a perfect acquaintance with that 
which is good. 

Almost all descriptions of wines are adulterated 
or imitated — ^the ignorance of most persons of the 
true taste of Champagne, has caused large importa- 
tions of a wretched and cheap manufacture from 
France, which is sold for the genuine article, and also 
quantities of a fictitious wine under the same name 
are made of common ingredients and brought into 
consumption. 

Beally good Champagne cannot be purchased at 
Bheims for less than three to four francs the bottle, 
yet large quantities bearing this denomination are 
sold in this country, duty and all charges paid, for less 
than ond half the money. 

The London Medical Times of November, 1850, 
contains the following article, which may be interest- 
ing to the drinkers of Champagne wine. 

" A singular mode of increasing the intoxicating 
power of Champagne has been discovered in Ger- 
many. It appears that a wine merchant of Bheims 
has for some years past enjoyed the almost exclusive 
privilege of supplying the kingdom of Wurtemberg 
with that wine; and that an extraordinary e£fect has 
been noticed to attend the drinking of a single glass 
thereof. After several analyses of the wine had been 
made, the contents of some of the bottles were ex- 
amined by Liebig, who ascertained by analyzing its 



ADULTERATION OP WINES. 171 

gases, that it contained one volume of carbonic acid 
gas, and two of the laughing gas or protoxide of 
nitrogen. The last named gas, the peculiar effects 
produced by which on the animal economy, when 
it has been respired, are well known, is prepared by 
the decomposition of the nitrate of ammonia. If 
this salt be at all impure, and not un&equently when 
it is used absolutely pure, nitrous acid is evolyed 
in the first instance duriog its decomposition. Che- 
mists, therefore, when preparing the laughing gas, 
are in the habit of throwing away the first propor- 
tions of gas that come over, and &rther test the 
character of the gas before they allow it to be inspi- 
red, as the nitrous acid gas would act on the econo- 
my as a dangerous poison. Furthermore, if the 
lungs contain air when this gas is inhaled, nitrous 
acid gas wUl be formed, and danger result. There 
is another danger occasionally encountered, when 
this gas is used for the purposes of exhilaration by 
respiration. In persons of consumptive habit, it 
may cause severe pain at the chest, difficulty of 
breathing, and even spitting of blood. In those who 
have a tendency to apoplexy or palsy, mischief in 
the head may be caused by its incautious use. — How 
far these results may be modified by the gas being 
taken into the stomach, it is at present impossible to 
say, but the subject admits of and deserves farther 
inquiry. At all events, there is the danger of a 
portion of nitrous acid gas being used in the wine, 
together with the laughing gas, and the adulteration 
is one of a most improper as well as singular cha- 



172 ADULTERATION OF WmES. 

racter. It can hardly be regarded as altogether 
innocuous." • • 

The Port wine denominated and sold as "Pure 
Juice Port," " and Burgundy Port," is another in- 
stance of the vitiated taste prevailing with many. 
These wines are " black, strong and sweet;" the pro- 
portion of the juice of the grape does not exceed one 
half, the remaindir of the wine is artificial ; the color 
is increased by the extract of elder-berry, the strength 
is derived from the addition of brandy, and the sweet 
taste is caused by a checked fermentation, and in some 
cases by the addition of syrup. It is almost need- 
less to say that this is a most unwholesome com- 
pound. 

There are manufactured imitations of nearly all 
the foreign wines, the use of which and of strong 
brandied wines among the community deprives them 
of the power of discriminating, by making impure 
wine the standard of the general taste. 

It may not be generally known, that very exten- 
sive establishments exist at Cette and Marseilles for 
the manufacture of every description of wine, both 
white and red, to resemble the produce not only of 
France, but of all other wine countries. It is no un- 
common practice with speculators engaged hi this 
trade to purchase and ship wines, fabricated in the 
places named, to other ports on the continent, and be- 
ing branded and marked as the genuine wines usually 
are, they are then transhipped to the markets for 
which they are designed, of which the United States 
is the chief. Such is the extent to which this traffic 



ADULTERATION OP WINKS. 178 

is carried that one individual has been referred to in 
the French ports, who has been in the habit of ship- 
ping four times in the year 20,000 bottles of Cham- 
pagne, not the product of the grape, but fabricated 
in these wine factories. It is well known that the 
imposition of these counterfeit wines has arrived to 
such a pitch, as to become quite notorious, and the 
subject of much complaint, in this country at least 

A vast deal more might be written on the va- 
rious methods adopted and the ingredients used in 
carrying on the system of adulteration and sophis- 
tication — ^the present chapter merely touches on the 
subject, not only to illustrate the principles recorded 
in this volume, but more especially to show the read- 
er how necessary it is to form a just judgment, and 
obtain a perfect acquaintance with genuine wine of 
every description, that he may thereby be better 
enabled to escape imposition. 



CHAPTER XXm. 

OF THB FINING AND BOTTLXNa OF WINES. 

FBINCIFLE OF VTSJKQ — RVSaUS ISniGLlBS AHD WHITES OF EGGS- 
EFFECTS AND DESIGN— 'MODE OF OFERATION — ^TO TEST THE 
BRILLIANCY OF WINE — ^FESIOD FOB BOTTLINO — SECURmT 
AGAINST PRICKED WINES. 

The principle of fining is to draw down with the 
fining particles to the bottom of the cask, the con* 
stituent particles of the wine in solution, which ren- 
der it tnrbid. The substances used are whites of eggs 
and isinglass. Whites of eggs are used with all 
descriptions of red wines in the proportion of eight 
to every 100 gallons, varying the quantity accord- 
ing to circumstances ; i. e. if the wines are light in 
body and color six will be quite sufficient ; if on the 
contrary the wines possess a strong body and deep 
color double this quantity may be used. The eggs 
must be well beaten up to a froth, and afterwards 
amalgamated with a small quantity of the wine; 
which is then poured into the cask, and should be agi- 
tated by rolling it backwards and forwards several 
times, or routed up by a forked stick put in at the 
bung. To insure perfect and thorough brilliancy 



vamsB AND BornjKa of wines. 175 

the fimng should pervade the whole body of the 
wine. 

The effects and design of the application is to 
reproduce a certain degree of turbidity in the wine, 
which after a time ceases, leaving it clearer than 
before ; and they both serve to secure its durability, 
by separating those matters which are most apt to 
eauae- deterioration. In the operation of fining by 
means of isinglass or whites of eggs, the tannin and 
alcohol of the fluid act upon the gelatine and albu- 
men, and form reticulated coagtila, which envelope 
and carry down the solid particles that endanger 
the safety of the wine. 

Isinglass is generally used for all white wines, 
and particular care is necessary in its preparation. 
One ounce of the best Hussian shred isinglass {no 
other mil do) is sufficient for a pipe of 120 gallons — 
this should be placed in a glazed vessel with white 
wine to cover the whole. In twelve hours the wine 
will be absorbed, when an additional quantity should 
be added and the contents stirred round ; if kept in 
a warm temperature or near a fire the dissolution 
will be perfected in a week; it should then be 
strained through a linen cloth or hair sieve, and the 
mucilage pressed out, and wine added to the extent 
of two gallons, and well beaten up, then put into 
the cask, which is to be treated as already indicated. 
The period required for the wine to become bright 
is influenced by its character, the temperature or 
state of the weather, and varies from two to six or 
eight weeks. Bed wines fall bright much sooner than 



176 FINING AND BCXPTLING OF WINES. 

white. Wines once fined should never be disturbed 
nor removed, unless previously racked off into ano- 
ther seasoned cask ; and care must be taken that no 
portion of turbid wine or lees be mixed with the 
bright. 

There are some wines it is better not to fine, 
such as the high grades and delicate growths of 
France and Qermany, also genuine Amontillado 
and similar descriptions — such wines in most cases 
fidl bright without the aid of fining, in about the 
same period as those to which the process is applied. 
Wines require a much longer time to fall bright in 
cold weather than in warm. 

To ascertain if a wine is thoroughly brilliant, 
draw a sample through a peg-hole from the lower 
part of the cask, about one or two inches from the 
bottom, where the faucet should enter — ^let a little 
wine run off into a vessel first, and then fill a plain 
thin wine glass, which must be quite clean; examine 
it through a taper or candle in the dark, and you 
will find no difficulty in ascertaining if it be per- 
fectly limpid — if so, it may be bottled. The faucet 
should be introduced without imparting the slightest 
motion to the cask. 

When a cask of pure, delicate, French or German 
wine is to be racked or bottled, it should be drawn 
off at once, the bottles corked as they are taken 
£rom the faucet, and the wine in the cask not allow- 
ed to remain on ullage but during the operation of 
drawing off. If a cask of fine Claret or Hock is left 
half full for two or three days, it will be materially 
injured, if not irretrievably spoiled. 



FINING AND BOTTLING OP WINES. 177 

In bottling choose the best corks, if treble the 
price of the common ones be paid for them — the 
corks should be new, firm and round, and be so 
driven as to press equally on all sides of the neck 
of the bottle. Every cork with a bad surface, or 
brown and chinked, should be fiung aside, and it 
need not be remarked that an old cork should never 
be used. 

For white wines new bottles should be used, but 
for Port, bottles which have been previously used 
are better, because the deposit or crust will adhere 
firmly to the glass, but if put into new bottles, 
it is usually found loose, and floating through the 
wine. 

When bottles are cleaned with shot, care should 
be taken that none of the pellets are left behind ; if 
so, and that the bottle is filled and kept for any 
length of time, the lead will dissolve and impregnate 
the wine with its deleterious qualities. A small 
quantity of potash or sulphuric acid, mingled with 
the water for washing bottles, is effectual in 
thoroughly cleaning them. 

All pure and delicate wines should be closely 
corked and waxed — close corks and a uniform tem- 
perature, are the best security against pricked wines, 
until age has cleared them of those particles by pre- 
cipitation, to which ascency is attributable. 

A proper maturity is necessary to be acquired 

by all wines, previous to being put into bottle — this 

can be ascertained by those who are competent 

judges. If wines be not sufficiently matured it is 

12 



178 FINING AND BOTTLINa OP WINES. 

much better to let them remain over in the cask 
until they are bo. 

In drinking pure light wines from the cask, if a 
flask of fine Florence oil be poured in at the bung, 
it will preserve the wine from acidity to the last drop, 
so well does oil coat the surface of the liquid and 
keep off the air. 



CHAPTER XXIV. 

OF THE PtJBOHASING OF WINES. 

DIFFICULTY OF CHOOSING — ^FRETENSION IN TASTE — ^HERIT OF SOME 
WINES FOinrDED ON FASHION AND CAPRICE — THE BEST MEANS 
OF PROCXTRINO GOOD WINE — PERFECT TASTE A RARE GIFT — 
WINE SHOULD BE CHOSEN FOR INTRINSIC MERIT, NOT FOR NAME, 
BRAND, VINTAGE, AGE, NOR CHEAPNESS — 8ECURIT7 AGAINST 
BEING IMPOSED UPON. 

Wine is a costly article, and being in universal use, 
among the rich as a luxury, and the poor as a medi- 
cine, it is necessary that buyers exercise a scrupu- 
lous caution in their selection. 

The choice of wine is a very difficult task, 
especially for the uninitiated. The difficulty is two- 
fold ; in the first place, no two persons have the 
same ideas of the flavor of any particular wine; 
secondly, the wines of the same vineyard diflfer in 
different years. Age, care in keeping, or accident, 
causes a change in the flavor of the same class of 
wine, perceptible to an amateur, though little noticed 
by strangers not accustomed to the variety. A pur- 
chaser should always, if possible, choose for himself 
the wine which is most agreeable to his palate, and 



180 PUBCHASINa OF WINES. 

relying upon the merchant for its good quality, he 
will thus add the latter's experience to his own choice. 
There is a good deal of pretension in the general 
taste for wine ; and it has been asserted that oftentimes 
the worst judge complains first of the quality of the 
wine set before him. At one time the example of 
a fashionable person will make a wine held in very 
little estimation before, and perhaps very worthless 
in reality, the prime wine of the table for a season. 
Very often it is this fashion, or accident, and not 
the true regard for vinous excellence, which makes 
the demand considerable for any particular species. 

The first object to be attained, next to the taste 
meeting the approbation of the purchaser, is its pu- 
rity. Whatever be the country jfrom whence it 
comes — whatever the class — if it be adulterated 
with any thing foreign to its own growth, it ought 
not to be selected. To distinguish genuine wine 
from that which is mixed requires great experience, 
when the species to be judged is of a second or 
third-rate class. The bouquet may be imitated, and 
even the taste ; and unless long practice has habitu- 
ated the purchaser to a nice discrimination, he is 
likely to err in his judgment. It is needful to know 
whether new wines will keep or change, and to what 
alterations the flavor will be liable. Without this 
knowledge, great loss may be sustained by a pur- 
chaser. Wines may appear good and bright which 
will not keep a year ; and others, that at first seem 
by no means deserving of preference, may prove in 
the end excellent. The consumer has no resource 



PURCHASINa OP WINES. 181 

then but in the dealer of exteDsive connections and 
high character ; while the dealer possessing a good 
natural taste will acquire, by experience and nice 
observation, the requisite qualification. 

The taste is the criterion by which a judgment 
is to be formed ; but a taste in wine, which can be 
depended upon, is a rare gift ; the mere power of 
discriminating between one obvious flavor and an- 
other is much more common. Some persons have 
no taste at all, and yet scarcely know their own de- 
ficiency. The late Sir Walter Scott was one of 
these, being singularly insensible to taste and odors. 
Many circumstances combine to affect the organ of 
taste ; the particular impression on this sense is so 
liable to alteration by the state of the bodily health, 
or by the last substance taken into the mouth, that 
it is difficult to depend upon. Sweet or spiced food 
taken a good while before will affect the judgment. 
Many recommend cheese, but after that, all wines 
have an agreeable relish ; while those who are in 
the habit of using tobacco in any form, of drinking 
strong wines or spirits, lose entirely that nicety of 
taste so requisite in judging of the superior product 
of the purest growths. A habit of tasting the su- 
perior wines will alone give the healthful palate the 
power of discriminating minuter differences in the 
aroma, bouquet, and sive of the choicer kinds. Such 
a palate judges by comparison of what ought to be 
found in the best growths, and the opinion is formed 
by an effort of memory upon previous sensation. 
The first quality Champagne, Medoc, Burgundy, 



182 PUBCHASING OP WINES. 

and Bhine wines, exhale a fragrant bouquet, and 
carry a delicious flavor, which can alone be realized 
by all right organs tolerably acquainted with the 
real thing. 

It is a belief with many, that if wine is received 
direct from under custom-house lock it must be 
genuine. We have already seen this is no guaran- 
tee ; as spurious wines, inferior and fictitious growths, 
are exported from Europe often under the denomi- 
nation of high grades, and sold at an apparent reduc- 
tion in price. 

Buy no wines designated of famous vintages, 
unless you know to a certainty that they are such 
by their qualities proving so. The first growths of 
celebrated vintages are always in the hands of capi- 
talists, who hold them at their full value. It does 
not matter much what the vintage or brand is desig- 
nated, provided the wine is really fine. 

Buy no wines represented of great age : it has 
been the fashion to pay such extravagant prices at 
times for old wines, that it would appear it was the 
high cost and not the quality of the wine that was to 
constitute the attraction. Many in this way possess 
wines past maturity and literally not drinkable. 
Mature wines of moderate age are the best and 
cheapest 

Buy no wines for their low prices, let the kind 
be what it may, whether generally denominated a 
cheap, or an expensive growth. Good wines always 
bring good prices — ^the contrary is the exception. 

The only security against being imposed upon, 



PUBCHASING OF WINES. 188 

and the secret of procuring good wine, is to purchase 
from honorable and respectable merchants, whose 
character and judgment can be relied upon, and to 
whom a reputation for selling fine wines is of ten 
times more importance than any thing they could 
expect to make by adulteration. Even if a low-* 
priced wine is wanted, the same merchant will sup- 
ply it, with the advantage of delivering it for what 
it really is, and not under a false designation. The 
confidence of persons in their own judgment is unu- 
sually great, and very few understand in what actual 
cheapness consiats; and where reliance cannot be 
placed in the seller, too much circumspection cannot 
be exercised by the buyer. 



CHAPTER XXV. 

OF THE PBOPEBTEES, USES, AND EFFECTS OP 

WIKE8. 

0E9AKTHIC ETHER — SUGAH — ALCOHOL — ^ACID — TABTRATES — CO- 
LOR — BOUQUET — AROBiA — USE AND ABUSE — ^FRESIUEHT JEF- 
FERSON — DOCTOR SIGMOND — DOCTOR ADAM CLARKE — ^THE RO- 
MANS — ^EFFECTS OF WINE DEPENDENT UPON QUALITY, QUAK- 
TITT, AND THE NECESSITY EXISTING FOR ITS USE — INDIGES- 
TIBILITY INDUCED BY MINGLING SEVERAL SORTS — SINGULAR 
EFFECT OF SOME WINES — ^EFFECTS OF WINE USED IN MODER- 
ATION. 

Properties of Wines. 

The peculiar vinous flavor of wine, by which it is 
distinguished from all mixtures of ardent spirits, is 
mainly owing to the presence of a small portion of 
the ethereal substance discovered by MM. Liebig 
and Pelouze, and called by them oenanthic ether. 
It is said not to exceed a forty-thousandth part of 
the wine. It seems to regulate the strength of the 
flavor of wine, or what is called its bouquet ; but 
the quality of flavor peculiar to each sort depends 
upon a volatile oil, either present in the juice from 
the first, or engendered during fermentation. Oenan- 



PBOPEKTIBS OP WINK. 185 

thic ether is probably concerned in some way with 
the intoxicating qualities possessed by some wines, 
such as Burgundy, Hennitage, and Amontillado. 

Wine is found on analyzation to contain the fol- 
lowing properties, viz. : 

Sugar, Alcohol, 

Acid, Oum, 

Water, Ghiten, 

Tannin, Aroma, 

Bouquet (oen&athic ether), 7\irtrate of Potash, 

Carbonic Acid (in all sparkling Sulphate of Potash, 

wines), Extractive Matter, 

Acetic Acid, Bitartrate of Potash, 

Chlorides (of potassium and so- Coloring Matter. 

dinm), 

In elucidation of this subject, some of the pro- 
perties are here described, and for the others the 
reader is referred to Ure and Brande. 

Sitgar. 

This is a constituent in many wines. Those in 
which it is very abundant are called sweet or lus- 
cious wines — Malmsey, Constantia, Tokay, Paxaret- 
ta, Eivesaltes, Frontignac, and others. The sweet- 
ness of some wines is attained by checking the 
fermentation at an early stage ; in others the fruit 
becomes so highly matured that no degree of fer- 
mentation will make it otherwise than rich or lus- 
cious. By many the sweetness of wine is considered 
a virtue — by some a defect. Wines which are young 
are generally sweet; and this, when desirable to 



186 PROPERTIES OP WINE. 

-alter, is met by frequent rackings, so as to prevent 
as much as possible a protracted fermentation. 

Alcohjol. 

The alcohol of all true wines is derived solely 
from the fermentation of the sugar, or alterations of 
the acids contained in the grape juice from which 
they are produced, and is held to be more digestible 
and less intoxicating than in its pure forms, owing 
to its being supposed to be in a peculiar state of 
combination with the other principles in wine. 
Wines which contain least of alcohol are those of 
France and Germany, and are thereby denominated 
weak wines ; those which contain most are the wines 
of Portugal, Madeira, and Spain, which are usually 
tltrong or generous wines. The saccharine or sugar 
of all wines of the latter description becomes con- 
verted into alcohol by age, while tartar is deposited. 
At this juncture the wine is considered perfect, and 
should be drunk, for after this period its strength 
diminishes, partly by evaporation, and partly by its 
conversion into other substances. 

Acid. 

All wines are more or less acidulous. In the 
wines of northern countries acetic acid is often 
found, as well as in wines deteriorated and spoiled. 
The brisk, frothing, sparkling, or eflTervescent wines 
of Champagne, which have been bottled before fer- 
mentation is complete, though without its being 
arrested, owe their peculiar properties to carbonic 



PROPERTIES OP WINE. 187 

acid retained in solution under pressure. Some 
wines, as Port, contain tannic acid, to which they 
owe their roughness and astringency. They derive 
this from the hull, and perhaps in part from the 
seeds of the grape. The acidity of some wines de- 
pends upon the bitartrate of potash. 

Tartrates, 

The most important saline constituent of wine is 
tartar (bitartrate of potash), which deposits along 
with the coloring and extractive matters, both in the 
cask and bottle, constituting argol, the bee's wing, 
&G. The deposit augments with the formation of 
alcohol. Tartrate of lime is usually formed along 
with tartar in wine, and in the German wines es- 
pecially there exists the tartrate of alumnia and 
potash. 

Coloring Matter. 

All wines contain more or less of coloring mat- 
ter ; but those which are prepared without the husk 
are pale and denominated white wines, as Sherry, 
Madeira, Hock, &;c. But if the husk of the dark 
colored grapes be present during fermentation, the 
wine acquires a deep color and is called red wine. 
By exposure to the light, as well as by age, the co- 
lor diminishes. 

BovqaeL 

" The wines of warm climates," says Liebig, 
'^ possess no bouquet ; wines grown in France have 



188 PKOPERTIES OF WINE. 

it in a marked degree ; but in the wines from the 
Bhine the perfume is most intense. The kind of 
grapes grown upon the Ehine, which ripen very 
late, and scarcely ever completely, such as the Riess- 
ling and Orleans, have the strongest perfume and 
bouquet, and contain proportionally a larger quan- 
tity of tartaric acid. The earlier grapes, such as the 
Rulander and others, contain a large proportion of 
alcohol, and arc similar to Spanish wines in their 
flavor, but they possess no bouquet. It is evident 
from these facts, that the acid of wines and their 
characteristic perfume have some connection, for 
they are always found together ; and it can scarcely 
be doubted that the presence of the former exercises 
a certain influence on the formation of the latter." 

The flavor of wine, or that fine Character denom- 
inated bouquet, is unknown in Portugal or Spanish 
wines, and is found to perfection only in the French 
and German wines of the first class ; from their deli- 
cate treatment during fermentation, and from the 
peculiar qualities in the soil ; — it is rarely perceived 
until the wines are mature. Flavor, as commonly 
understood among wine merchants, is the taste any 
particular wine possesses, treated artificially or not, 
and will depend on the mode of management in the 
vat. It is not afiiected by the addition of brandy, 
which, on the contrary, may be the imparting cause 
in some cases. Bouquet is never present but in the 
purest wine; it is not a single perfume, and is named 
bouquet from this circumstance. It seems to arise 
from a union of several agreeable odors ; any mix- 



PBOPEBTIES OF WINE. 189 

tare would destroy it. Thus Sherry, Madeira, Port, 
and other such wines, although, possessing a very 
agreeable aroma, have little or no bouquet 

Aroma. 

The aroma of wines consists in a volatile usually 
termed an essential oil, and in a resinous substance 
capable of being extracted by spirits of wine. All 
fine wines possess this property, and yield a brisk 
fragrant smell. 

Sediment — Crystals — Crust 

Many persons are surprised at the appearance of 
some kind of deposits in wine, which has put on 
a novel appearance, and attribute it to substances 
wholly foreign, either adulteration or accidental 
mixtures — such is not the case; the precipitation 
of wine in bottle is only the continuance of that 
which began in the vat, and keeping this in mind 
the remedy is apparent. All wines deposit in this 
their last state of preservation, from the coarse crust 
of Port to the depdtpierre of Champagne, or the al- 
most invisible sediment in some other wines. The 
different soils on which the vines are grown, and the 
nature of the season, will sometimes cause a different 
appearance in the deposits. Sometimes it will 
adhere to the sides of the glass when poured out of 
the bottle; at others it will become suspended in 
the wine, having too much levity to sink, remaining 
in suspension while the wine is acquiring age. 

Crystals frequently form in wines, and particu- 



190 PROPERTIES OP wars. 

larly on the bottom of the cask with white wine, 
looking something like sand, at other times pellucid 
as glass. These are nothing more than tartar, and are 
by no means to be regarded as of moment, if the 
wine is to be drank directly from the cellar. If it 
is to be removed, the wine should be carefully rack- 
ed or drawn off with a syphon, so as not to agitate 
it. The appearance is rather a mark of goodness 
than inferiority in the quality of the wine. 

In Champagne what is called the depdt pierre is 
very like fine sand or small flinty crystals, but it 
is nothing more than ^n appearance put on by the 
crystallized tartar of the wine. 

All wines after being some time in bottle pre- 
cipitate a tartar or sediment more or less, and in the 
red wines, generally carries along with it a quantity 
of the coloring matter, forming a dark crust on that 
side of the bottle which lies undermost It would 
appear, however, that some wines are less apt to 
form the crust than others. In Port wines it is 
always seen: but in those of Medoc it is rarely 
observable, at least when they have been properly 
matured and fined, previously to bottling ; and the 
color becomes even deeper as the deposit of tar- 
tar proceeds. In white wines, on the other hand, 
the tartar shows itself in the form of pellucid crys- 
tals adhering to the cork and side of the vessel, and 
consisting generally of pure supertartrate of potash, 
but containing sometimes other saline substances 
which have been combined with it. 

The substances referred to are found in every 



USES OF WINE. 191 

vinous precipitation in some form or another more 
or less apparent, and those wines which deposit 
freely are observed to be the most durable ; at the 
same time it may be remarked that truly perfect wine 
forms an exception to this rule, because it is usually 
allowed that wines well made and thoroughly fined 
seldom deposit any crust or sediment. 

Uses of Wine, 

9 

" 'Tis pity wine, which nature meant 
To man in kindness to present, 
And ^ve him kindly to caress 
And cherish his fVail happiness; 
Of equal virtue to renew 
His weary mind and hody too, 
Should (like the cider tree in Eden, 
Which grew only to be forbidden) 
No sooner come to be enjoyed 
But th' owner fatally destroyed." 

The artificial state of the human constitution 
produced by the habits of civilized life, is supposed 
to render the use of wine for some people a neces- 
sary stimulant during exposure to unusual fatigue. 
So far do some carry this notion in the upper ranks of 
society in Europe, as to follow the strange practice 
of allowing wine, and in considerable quantity, even 
to healthy young children. It is impossible to admit 
that the moderate use of wine, even though habitual, 
produces, except in certain habits, the evil effects on 
the bodily and mental powers, or eventually on the 
constitution, which some ascetics, reasoning from 



192 USES OP WINE. 

their own experience, would have the world imagine. 
In most cases the moderate use or entire avoidance 
of wine seems a matter of indifference, so far as the 
constitution is concerned. The habitual use of wine 
is safest or most salutary when the habit is united 
with regular exercise out of doors, and most hurtful 
when the occupation is sedentary and the mind 
much exerted. 

That an abuse of the good things which the 
Creator has bestowed for the enjpyment of man 
should be followed by just punishment, in the mis- 
erable consequences that succeed excessive indul- 
gence, is just and natural. The intemperate man 
in the use of strong brandied wines will find his 
reward ; but it is singular enough, that in proportion 
as drunkards have abounded in any nation, the 
wines drunk there have been more sophisticated, 
and strengthened with substances foreign to them. 
The healthy stomach relishes plain food ; the sickly 
one must be pampered with savory or spiced dishes. 
The truth of this is clear ; we have the " mixed 
wine " of the Hebrews in proof. Like the taste too 
general in England, from which the better classes 
and people of information are most exempt, " strong 
drink " is that which is most desired. Pure wine is 
chill to the arid and burning stomach. The Jews 
knew nothing of the product of the still, but 
strengthened and mixed their wines with stimulat- 
ing and intoxicating herbs. The denunciations in the 
Scriptures are against mixed wine : ** They that go 
o seek mioced wine,^^ — ** Wo to them that are mighty 



USES OF WINE. 193 

to drink, and men of strength to mingle strong drink " 
(shekhar *^ao). The Greeks and Bomans rendered 
wine more intoxicating by the use of strong aro- 
matics. Turpentine, resin, and pitch were mingled 
with them for this purpose. Distillation being un- 
known, spices or hot peppery substances were had 
recourse to in certain countries ; but the very use of 
these adulterations shows that the stomachs which 
relished them, had either first been debauched and de- 
bilitated by excess, or that health and social cheerful- 
ness were not objects in the vinous draught, but 
that a stimulant, operating rapidly and producing 
ebriety with speed, was the real thing sought after. 
In the West Indies, formerly, when a stomach was 
wellnigh worn out, the acceptable sriimulant taken 
as a cordial was a glass of brandy with Cayenne 
pepper in it, usually termed " a flash of lightning." 
It is "no marvel that, to persons inured to the burn- 
ing product of high distillation, the generous soul- 
enlivening juice of the vine, in its pure state, should 
be cold and inert as spring- water. Pure wine was 
not made for men who can drink two or three bot- 
tles at a sitting, and scarcely deserve to be ranked 
above the brute creation. Lafite or Burgundy to 
such palates would be spring- water. If they drink 
wine at all, it must be adulterated with alcohol ; yet 
the fondness of the northern nations of Europe for 
strong drink does not prevent them from relishing 
natural wine. In Sweden, where ardent spirits are 
much drunk, wine is enjoyed, as in France, unadul- 
terated, in its genuine state ; and even in St. Peters- 
18 



IM VBMS or wmL 

bmgfa, where the slia n gea t produci of the atfll k 
conramedy xeq[iectable pec^e diink wine in its pure 
state. 

To the finregotng obserrations may be added the 
following testimonials to the beneficial nae of poie 
wine: 

The late Fbsssdest Jsffkbsok, in his Memoira^ 
says: " I rejoieei as a moralist at the pioq)ect of a 
reduction of the duties on wine by oar national le- 
gislatore. It is an error to yiew a tax on that 
liqnor as merely a tax on the rich. It is a prohibi- 
tion of its use to the middling dasses of onr citizens^ 
and a condemnation of them to the poison of spirits^ 
which is desolating their homes. No nation is 
dmnken, wheie wine is cheap; and none sober, 
where the deamess of wine snbstitates ardent spir- 
its as the common beverage." 

DocTOB SiGMOKD well observes: "Good wine 
is a Qordiali a good cordial, a fine stomachic, and 
taken at its proper season, invigorates the mind and 
body, and gives life an additional charm. There 
can be found no substitutes for the fermented liquors 
that can enable man to sustain the mental and bodi- 
ly labor which the artificial habits of society so con- 
stantly demand. Temperance and moderation are 
virtues essential jbo our happiness ; but a total absti- 
nence from the enjoyments which the bounteous 
hand of Nature has provided, is as unwise as it is 
ungrateful. I^ on the one band, disease and sorrow 
attend the abuse of vinous liquors, innocent gay- 
ety, additional strength and power of mind, and an 



USES OF wmx. ' 196 

increased capability of encountering the eyer-yary- 
ing agitation of life, are amongst the many good 
results which spring from a well*regulated diet in 
which the yinous product bears its just proportion 
and adaptation." 

The late Doctor Adah Clabke states that 
" Wine in moderate quantity has a wondrous ten- 
dency to reyiye and inyigorate the human being. 
Ardent spirits exhilarate, but they exhaust the 
strength; and eyery dose leayes man the worse. 
Unadulterated wine, on the contrary, exhilarates 
and invigorates: it makes him cbee^, and pro- 
yides for the continuance of that cheerfulness by 
strengthening the muscles and bracing the neryes. 
This is its use. Those who continue drinking till 
wine inflames them, abuse this mercy of God." 

Amongst the Bomans, wine was considered as a 
medicine ; and was giyen that the soul might acquire 
modesty, and the body health and yigor; and it was 
also believed that Bacchus had bestowed wine upon 
men as a remedy against the austerities of old age, 
that through this we might acquire a second youth, 
forget sorrow, and the manners of the mind be 
rendered softer, as iron is softened by the action of 
the fire.* 

Wine to spirit comfort gires, 

Wine, to spirit chaDg'd, still lives 

Strength to virtue to supply, 

And nerve the heart la agony.-^ATiccKWA. 

* Plato de Legibns, Lib. U. yol. yL 



196" EFFECTS OF WINE. 

Effects of Wine. 

As a tonic and stimulant, the superior action of 
wine gives it great advantages over other forms o 
alcohol ; its e£Eects vary in different constitutions, 
and depend moreover on the description, quality, 
and quantity used. Old wines are less intoxicating, 
and in all cases to be preferred to new, the alcoholic 
strength being much diminished, and the wine more 
mature and perfect. Brandied wines (i. e. wines to 
which brandy is added) are decidedly injurious to the 
constitution, whereas pure wines of equal strength 
are beneficial. The alcohol of wine, when combined 
in the natural way and drunk in that state, is not 
productive of those complaints of the liver, and 
similar diseases, which arise from drinking wines in 
which the spirit is foreign. It is a remarkable fact, 
that brandy mingled with other ingredients of the 
wine by artificial means, is never perfect, and is be- 
yond calculation more pernicious than the strong- 
est natural production. Many diseases arise from 
drinking wine which is artificially mixed with 
brandy. These diseases are not found from wine 
drunk pure in the country of its growth. In 
wine countries liver complaints, for example, are 
scarcely known. 

In wine mingled with brandy, the exhilaration 
is the first access of -fever, and the head and stomach 
suffer severely for the indulgence ; not to comment 
on the certain ruin to the constitution of the indi- 
vidual who follows the constant use of such wines, 



EFFECTS OF WINE. 197 

even without taking them to excess, in the shape of 
indigestion, and ultimately of apoplexy or dropsy. 

The exhilaration from pure wine is of a very 
different character, either from the mode in which 
the spirituous strength is applied to the stomach, 
and affects the nervous system, or from its combina- 
tion with other elements. In one case, as in Cham- 
pagne, where it is true the carbonic acid gas may 
be supposed to produce the modification, though in the ' 
finer wines of France, as Romance or Lafite, it is 
the same thing, the spirits are elevated, and even a 
slight excess in the quantity taken, passes away 
speedily, nor leaves any ill effect. The effects of 
pure wines on the feelings, are as different to the 
spirituous heavy wine as possible; the former cheer 
and exhilarate, creating a pleasant ease and buoy- 
ancy, the latter force on a boisterous artificial mirth, 
a joy that is like the laugh of unwieldiness or de- 
crepitude, without levity and that airy feeling which 
the other kinds always induce. Their effects on 
the constitution, too, are diametrically opposite, 
when taken largely. 

Some wines possess singularly unknown proper- 
ties, and produce very extraordinary effects. At 
Arviso, a rocky island in the Archipelago, there is 
one species of wine made that takes away the facul- 
ties, when indulged in to excess. At Belfort, in the 
department of Haut Bhin, France, there is a wine 
made from the vines of Bangen, which is pleasant 
drinking but very heady, and produces a sin- 
gular effect on those who exceed certain limits in 



198 EFFECTS or WINE. 

the quantity taken. While seated at the table no 
inconvenience is felt from its effects, bat on going 
into the open air, the limbs are attacked so as to 
render any movement of them impossible, and yet 
the mind is not at all altered, as in ordinary cases 
of intoxication. 

The digestibility of wine is much impaired by 
mingling several sorts. Even Burgundy or Cham- 
pagne may be drunk with impunity if taken singly, 
although they disagree when united with other 
kinds. 

The French say their Claret is stomachic, 
Champagne heady, and Burgundy aphrodisiac. 

From the preceding it may be inferred that the 
best wines for use are those that have only the 
natural alcohol, and a moderate quantity of it ; or, 
in other words, those that are least fiery by nature. 
Of these are the French and German wines; Sherry, 
Madeira, and Port, when sound, and free from the 
destructive influence of unblended alcohol. 

The general effects of wine, when used in mod- 
eration, are to stimulate the stomach, exhilarate the 
spirits, warm the habit, quicken the circulation, and 
promote perspiration ; and when taken to excess to 
produce intoxication. In many diseases it is uni- 
versally admitted to be of important service, and in 
almost all cases of languor, and of great prostration 
of strength, is experienced to be a more grateful 
and efficacious cordial than can be furnished from 
the whole class of aromatics. 



CHAPTER XXVI. 

OF THE DIErETIO A^TD MEDIOAL QUALITIES OF 

WINES. 

(it doctor HENDSfttON.) 

THE HESStOV 0? BACCHTTS — ^DEFLORABLB EFFECTS OF THE ▲BT78E 
OF WIHB — ^nrFLUENCE ON VATIOHAI. CHARACTER — ^PARTIALITT 
OF THE BCUSBS TO ITS TEMPERATE USE — ^DAHGER OF YIELD- 
IHG TO ITS FASCINATIOK — DEUGHTFUL POISON— GEHERAL BfE- 
DICAL EFFECTS DESCRIBED — ^PARTICXTLAR EFFECTS OF CLARET, 
CHAHPAGNE, BURGXTNDT, port, claret, SHERRT, MADEIRA, 
VINS DB LIQUEUR, HOCX. 

Baoohus is represented by Hesiod as the dispenser 
of joys and sorrows. It may be remarked, how- 
ever, that his gifts are distributed very unequally 
among those who repair to his altars ; that the un- 
alloyed joys are confined to a few, and though live- 
ly, are unsubstantial and fleeting in their nature ; 
while the sorrows are real and permanent, and gen- 
erally become the portion of his most ardent vota- 
ries. They revel for a time in feverish gayety, but 
the period at length arrives when the dream of hap- 
piness dissolves, and they awake to melancholy and 
despair. Doomed for the remainder of their days 
to endure the anguish of remorse and irremediable 



200 DIETEnO AND MEDICAL 

disease, they discover, when it is too late, that in 
the pursuit of false pleasures they have drained the 
cup of life to its bitterest dregs. If they should 
happily escape the more formidable bodily ills which 
follow in the train of intemperance, they never fail 
to experience its baneful influence on the mind. 
Perception is blunted; imagination decays; the 
memory and judgment are enfeebled ; the temper 
becomes irritable and gloomy; and a degree of 
moral callousness is superinduced, which steels the 
heart against all the tender feelings and refined 
sympathies of our nature. Moreover, as every fresh 
debauch occasions a temporary aberration of intel- 
lect, it often happens, especially when a disposition 
to insanity pre-exists, that reason is shaken from 
her seat for ever. But dreadful as this calamity 
appears in all its forms, it is perhaps an enviable 
fate, compared to the lot of those victims of impru- 
dence who retain the full consciousness of their own 
errors. To them premature death is the least of the 
evils they inflict on themselves. 

Such are the deplorable effects of the abuse of 
wme, from which all the exhortations of the moral- 
ist, and all the care of the legislator, have been in- 
sufficient to preserve mankind. Even phUosophers 
themselves have not been able to resist its allure- 
ments ; but forgetting in their social hours the salu- 
tary rule, that to forbear is to enjoy, have too often 
obscured their genius, and stained their reputation 
by habitual inebriety. If we are to believe Mon- 
tesquieu, '' Drunkenness predominates over all the 



QUALrraa or wine. JOl 

world, in proportion to the coldness and bumiditjr 
of the climate." "Go," he observes, "from the 
equator to our pole, and you will find drunkenness 
increasing together with the degree of latitude. Go 
from the same equator to the opposite pole, and you 
will find drunkenness travelling south, as on this 
side it travels towards the north." One thing, how- 
ever, is certain, that this propensity is most preva- 
lent among barbarous nations ; and it is a consoling 
reflection to those who contemplate the progress of 
human afiairs, that, if the inventions and usages to 
which civilization gives birth ap^)ear at times of 
equivocal advantage, yet they invariably tend to 
wean us from gross and debasing habits, and to im- 
prove our relish for rational and refined enjoyments. 
A generation has scarcely passed away since it was 
no uncommon thing to see men of high intellectual 
acquirements, and of irreproachable character in 
other respects, protracting the nightly feast, till not 
only their cares, but their senses, were completely 
drowned in wine. At present, such disgraceful ex- 
cess, if ever witnessed, would operate as an effectual 
and deserved exclusion from all respectable society. 
It was once the boast of many, that they could in- 
dulge in these deep potations with impunity. At 
present no one covets the fame of Darius, who or- 
dered to be inscribed on his tomb, " that he could 
drink much wine and bear it also nobly." 

An inquiry into the influence of wine on national 
character, opens an extensive and highly interesting 
field of disquisition ; but the want of accurate data, 



202 DIBTKnO AND iaa>iGAi< 

and the difficulty of separatiiig and olearl j distin- 
guishing them from other concomitant circumstan- 
ces, would probably prevent us from arriving at sat- 
isfactory conclusions^ or establishing any consistent 
theory on the subject. Some authors, indeed, have 
not scrupled to affirm, that in wine countries the cha- 
racter of the people is commonly analogous to that of 
their wines; pretending, for example, to discover, in 
the choice qualities of those of Greece, the causes of 
its rapid civilization, and of the unrivalled talents for 
the fine arts, which were so conspicuous in its an- 
cient inhabitants. It must be acknowledged, how- 
ever, that the natives of wine coxmtries, with the 
exception perhaps of the Greeks and Persians, are 
much less prone to intemperance than those nations 
for whom the attraction of vinous liquors seems to 
increase in proportion as they recede from the cli- 
mates that produce them. 

It was the remark of an ancient poet, that the 
man who drinks wine must necessarily have more 
exalted thoughts than he who drinks only water; 
and the followers of the muses, in all ages, seem to 
have adopted the maxim, and to have offered fre- 
quent sacrifices at the shrine of Bacchus. Whether 
the fire of their verses has always corresponded 
to the warmth of this devotion, may well be doubt- 
ed ; but the beautiful lyrics we owe to their genius, 
when confessedly under the inspiration of wine, 
furnish sufficient proof of its power of occasionally 
elevating the fancy, and raising that soft tumult of 
the soul, which enables it to create a world of its 



QUAUTIXS OF WINB. 208 

own, and to pour forth its conceptions in the sab- 
limest and most harmoniotts strains. '^ Nil mortale 
loquar," is the raptarous exclamation of Horaos in 
one of his happiest invocations of the Lenasan god — 

No mortal sound shall shake the willing string, 

The rentoroas theme my soul alarms, 
Bat, warmed by thee, the thought of danger charms,— 

When Tine-crowned Bacchus leads the way 
What can bis Totaries dismay 1 

Francis's Hobacb, Ode iii. 26. 

It is in this vehement enthusiasm, this agreeable 
frenzy, that the fascination, and it may be added 
the principal danger of wine, to all persons endued 
with great sensibility, consist, for with them the 
passions have the fullest sway, and the most marked 
alternations of cheerfulness and gloom are apt to 
prevail : — 

" Dearly bought the hidden treasure, 
Finer feelings can bestow ; 
Chords that yibrate sweetest pleasure, 
Thrill the deepest notes c^woe." 

■ 

As the delirium of intoxication advances, the 
desire to heighten and prolong its influences in- 
creases ; and in proportion to the strength and dura- 
tion of the excitement is the degree of depression 
that succeeds, when the mind exchanges its trans- 
porting visions for the sober realities of life. Hence 
the propensity to renew the state of ideal bliss, by a 
repetition of the stimulus, — ^a propensity which if 



204 DIETETIC AND KEDIOAL 

not resisted in the beginning, soon settles into a 
confirmed habit It is, however, with the delights 
of wine as with the other pleasures of sense ; when 
indulged 'in too freely, they lose their sweetest 
charm ; and they are always relished most by those 
who have sufficient self-command to use them in 
moderation, and who enjoy them at intervals, amid 
the more important business of life. 

Although when drank without restraint, wine 
can only be considered " a delightful poison,"* as 
the Persians, who know it chiefly by its abuse, have 
appropriately termed it ; yet, like other poisons, when 
administered with judgment and discretion, it is 
capable of producing the most beneficial effects. 
Temperately used, it acts as a cordial and stimu- 
lant ; quickening the action of the heart and arte- 
ries, diffusing an agreeable warmth over the body, 
promoting the different secretions, communicating a 
sense of increased muscular force, exalting the 

* Ferdasi tells ns that Jemsheed was fond of grapes, and stored 
up for himself some Jars of grape jaice. After a while he went to 
seek for a refVeshing draught; then fermentation was in progress; 
and he found his juice abominahly nasty. A severe stomach-ache 
induced him to believe that the liquor had acquired, in some way. 
dangerous qualities, and therefore to avoid accidents he labelled 
each jar " Poison." More time elapsed, and then one of his wives 
in trouble of soul, weary of life, resolved to put an end to her exist- 
ence. Poison was handy : but a draught transformed her trouble 
into joy ; more of it stupefied, but did not kill her. That woman 
kept a secret ; she alone exhausted all the jars. Jemsheed then 
found them to be empty. Explanations followed. The experiment 
was tried once more, and wine being so discovered, was thereafter 
entitled " the delightful poison.*' 



QUALITIES OF WINB. 205 

nervous energy, and banishing all unpleasant feel- 
ings from the mind. Even in this light, it is to be 
viewed rather as a medicine than as a beverage 
adapted to common use ; for a person 4n sound 
health can require no such excitement of his frame, 
and by frequently inducing this state of preternat- 
ural strength, he must sooner or later exhaust the 
vital powers. In certain constitutions, however, 
wine seems to cause no pleasurable emotions, ope- 
rating rather as a direct narcotic, and occasioning 
only stupor, when drunk in excessive quantity. 

When introduced into the stomach, vinous 
liquors may be considered as acting in two ways ; 
either by their chemical affinities, as they become 
mixed with the food, or by their stimulant operation 
on the nervous and muscular systems. Now, there 
is every reason to believe, that, in the former point 
of view, they will not assist the digestion of proper 
nutriment in the healthy subject, but will have a 
directly contrary eflfect, especially if they contain 
much spirit or acid. If they undergo decomposition, 
a portion of the saccharine and mucilaginous matter 
may perhaps enter into the formation of chyme, and 
a small quantity of the alcohol may be taken up by 
absorbents ; but this principle constitutes no part of 
the blood, and cannot therefore remain in the system. 
The neutral salts will, of course, exert their specific 
actions on the alimentary canal, or they must enter 
into partial combination with the' food. In weak 
stomachs, however, where the muscular action is 
slow, even the purest wine is apt to generate a 



206 DDSTEnC AND MEDICAL 

deleterious acidity: and the stimulant powers of 
the alcohol, which in persons of sounder habits are 
sufficient to overcome such a tendency, are thus 
completely lost But that, in persons of the strong- 
est frame, wine does not directly forward the 
process of digestion, is proved by the derangement 
of the alimentary organs which always succeeds 
excessive indulgence in its use. Great drinkers, it 
is well known, are small eateiv, and usually termi- 
nate their career by losing their appetite^ altogether. 
In general, then, we may conclude that the 
good e£fects of wine as an article of diet, are refer- 
able to its stimulating operation on the nervous and 
muscular coats of the stomach, by which means 
that organ is incited to greater action, and the flow 
of gastric juice is promoted. This excitement will 
of course vary according to the proportion of the 
spirituous and aromatic constituents, and the quan- 
tities of the acids and neutral salts, by which their 
action may be, to a certain degree, controlled or 
modified. But although chemical analysis may 
assist us so far, in tracing the influence of wine on 
the human system, it is very certain that when of 
good quality, and fully matured by age, it does not 
operate in the same manner that an artificial mix- 
ture of its several constituents would do. 

It is almost superfluous to remark, that as the 
stimulant power of wine generally corresponds to 
the quantity of alcohol which enters into its compo- 
sition, so this power must be greatly increased in 
those Yrines which contain a large proportion of 



QUALETIBS OF WTBTX. 207 

adventitioas and imperfecilj combined spirit ; that 
those wines, therefore, which have a fictitious 
strength imparted to them by the fiirther additions 
of alcohol, are rendered doubly injuriolis to the 
constitution, is very certain ; for the habitual use of 
them must be manifestly equivalent to the habitual 
use of spirits, or rather to the use of spirits and wine 
together. Many would doubtless be appalled at 
the thought of draining a whole quart of pure 
brandy, who feel no reluctance to swallow an equal 
quantity of spirit disguised with wine. Some in- 
deed there are, whose peculiar temperament enables 
them to take off large draughts of this inflammatory 
mixture, without immediately experiencing bad 
effects ; but let no one flatter himself that he can 
continue, for any length of time, to drink even one 
bottle daily, widiout impairing his health, and lay* 
ing the foundation of various maladies, which are 
always difficult of cure and often wholly irreme- 
diable. 

But it is not to the brandy alone that the nox- 
ious effects of certain wines are to be ascribed. If 
the original fermentation has been imperfect, or if 
they contain an excess of acids, particularly the 
gallic or malic acids, their use becomes highly pre- 
judicial, especially to persons of infirm stomachs. 
When such wines are placed within the temperature 
of the human body, a renewal of the suppressed 
fermentation will tske place ; and what little alcohol 
they have will rather assist than counteract the 
acidifying prooess. The carbonic add gas, however. 



208 DISTETIG AND MEDICAL 

which some of these wines give out in large quan- 
tity, cannot be regarded as unwholesome, unless 
from the distention of commotion which it produces. 
In mineral waters this ingredient is well known to 
be both grateful and salutary ; and it may partly 
counteract the deleterious qualities of the half-formed 
wines with which it is united. 

These principles may serve to explain the gene- 
ral operation of vinous liquors on the human sys- 
tem, and the injurious consequences that ensue from 
the use of bad and adulterated wines. But as the 
genuine and more perfect kinds exhibit marked 
differences in their composition and qualities, so 
their effects in a medical as well as a dietetic point 
of view, are liable to great variation. The follow- 
ing few fBjQta are stated which appear to be estab- 
lished with respect to the comparative virtues of 
some of the principal wines. 



DOCTOR HENDERSON. PROFESSOR BRANDS. 

Champagne. Ohampagne, 

Among the brisk wines, those The efferyesoent Tarieties of 

of Champagfne, thongh not the this wine, if not taken in excess, 

strongest, may be considered as are the most speedily exhilarat- 

the best ; and they are certainly ing of all wines ; they soon pro- 

the least noxious, even when duce an approach to intoxication 

drunk in considerable quantity, which is very transient, and gen- 

They intoxicate very speedily, erally harmless; but indulged in 

probably in consequence of the to any excess, their effects are 

carbonic acid gas in which they more than ordinarily pernicious 

abound, and the volatile state in and they then stand unrivalled in 



QUALITIES OF WINE. 209 

DOCTOR HENDERSON. PROFESSOR BRANDB. 

which the alcohol is held : and the headache, nausea, sickness, 
the excitement is of a more and uniTersal derangement of the 
lively and agreeahle character, system which they create. In 
and shorter duration, than that constitutions suhject to affections 
which is caused hy any other of a gou<y character Champagne, 
species of wine, and the suhse- even in moderation, is certainly 
qnent exhaustion less. Hence more apt than other wines to 
the moderate use of such wines create painfiil sensations in the 
has been found occasionally to as- regions of the kidneys, and in 
sist the cure of hypochondriacal the small joints of the hands 
affections and other nervous dis- and feet. So many persons corn- 
eases, where the application of plain of headache even after a 
an active and diffusible stimulus single glass of good Champagne, 
was interdicted. They also pos- that it should be interdicted 
sess marked diuretic powers, wherever there is a tendency to 
The opinion which prevails, that such affections, f^om whatever 
they are apt to occasion gout, cause they arise, 
seems to be contradicted by the Still Champagne is often a 
unfVequency of that disorder in strong and heating wine, veiy 
the province where they are deceitful in these respects to the 
made; but they are generally palate. When of superior qual- 
admitted to be prejudicial to ity it has the singular aromatic 
those habits in which that disor- flavor of Champagne in an emi- 
derls already formed, especially nent degree, a flavor which also 
if it has originated (torn addle- exists, but is covered by carbo- 
tion to stronger liquors. With nic acid in the sparkling wine, 
respect to this class of wines, The latter should, therefore, not 
however, it is to be observed, be drunk till the active efferves- 
that they are too often drunk in cence has subsided, by those 
a raw state, when of course they who would relish this character- 
must prove least wholesome; istic quality. The prevalent 
and that, in consequence of the notion that a glass of Champsgne 
irant of proper cellars, and other cannot be too quickly swallowed, 
causes which accelerate their is very erroneous, and shows 
consumption, they are very rare- great want of taste in respect to 
ly kept long enough to attain the peculiar excellence of this 
their perfect maturity. It is wine; to such persons a glass 
also worthy of notice, that in ofcider or perry is as acceptable 

14 



210 DIETBnO AND KSDIGAL 

DOOTOS WtNDKRMOH, PROrSSSOft BRANSll. 

order to preserTe their Bweetnen as one of Champagne; farther, 

and promote efferreeoenoe, the it is no bad test of the goodness 

mannfkctnren of Champsgne of sparkling Champagne to leare 

commonly add to each bottle a it exposed for some hours in a 

portion of syrap and cream of wine glass, when, if origimtllyof 

tartar ; the highly fh)thing kinds the higher order, it will be found 

receiving the largest quantity, to have lost its excess of carbo- 

Therefore. contrary to the pre- nic acid, but to retain itscha- 

Tailing opinion, when the wine racteristic flavor, 
sparkleth in the glass, and 
'' moyeth itself aright," it is most 
to be aToided, unless the attri- 
butes of age should countervail 
all its noxious properties. 

Burgundy, Burgundy, 

The red wines of Burgundy This wine and ifs Tarious 
are distinguished by greater branches are peculiarly heating 
spirituosity, and a powerful and soporific; and when new, 
aroma. Owing, perhaps, to the two or three glasses frequently 
predominance of the latter prin- excite a considerable degree of 
ciple, they are much more heat- temporary fever, attended by a 
ing than many other wines which fUU and hard pulse, flushed fkoe 
contain a larger proportion of and headache; but the symp- 
alcohol. Though in the time of toms soon subside, and are fol- 
LouisXIV. they were prescribed lowed by no inconvenience, 
in affections of the chest, no These wines, however, should be 
physician of the present day cautiously indulged in by all 
would dream of giving them in persons in whom suddenly in- 
such cases. The exhilaration, creased vascular action is liable 
however, which they cause, is to produce any thing more than 
more innocent than that result- temporary effect, 
ing flrom the use of heavier 
wines. The better sorts may 
sometimes be administered with 
advantage in disorders where 
stimulant and sub4»tringent ton- 



QUiJiEnXB OF WINE, 211 



DOCTOB HUTDBBSOII. PBOPB8«Oft BSANDB. • 

Ic8 are required. The mine 
obeervations will ai^ly to the 
wines of the Rhone, and the 
lighter red wines of Spain and 

Portugal. • 

P<ni. Part, 

The wioefl of Oporto, which When old and of good quality, 

abound in the astringent princi- is, when taken in moderation, one 

pie, and derive additional poten- of the most wholesome of vinous 

cy from the brandy added to liquors ; it strengthens the mus- 

them previously to exportation, cular system, assists the diges- 

may be serviceable in disorders tlve powers, accelerates the cir- 

of the alimentary canal, where culation, exhilarates the spirits, 

gentle tonics are required. But and sharpens the mental ener- 

the gallic acid renders them unfit gies. Indulged in excess, it is 

fbr weak stomachs ; and what perhaps the most mischievous of 

astringent virtues they show will wines, and most likely to produce 

be found in greater perfectidn in those permanent derangements 

the wines of Alicant and Rota, of the digestive organs, that 

which contain more tannin and obtuse state of the faculties of 

less acid. The excitement they the mind, and those obstinate 

induce is of a more sluggish na^ organic affections, which follow 

ture than that attending the use the habitual use of the stronger 

of the purer French wines, and spirituous liquors. 
does not enliven the fiincy in the 
same degree. As a ft«quent 
beverage they are unquestiona- 
bly more pernicious. 

ClareL Claret 

Possessing less aroma and Claret, or the wines of Bor- 

spirit, but more astringency than deaux, are less heating and more 

the produce of the Burgundy aperient than other wines, and 

vineyards, the growths of the agree well with the stomach 

Bordelais are, perhaps, of all when taken in moderation; if in 

kinds the safest for didly use ; excess, they excite acidity and 



212 DIETBHC AND HEDICA^j 

DOCTOR. HSITDBRSON. PROPESBOR BRANDS. 

as they rank among the moat indigestion, often rather Arom 
perfect light wines, and do not quantity than quality. Clarets 
excite intoxication so readily as obtained from respectable sour- 
most others. They have, indeed, ces are agreeable and compara- 
been condemned by some wri- tively harmless wines ; they are 
ters, as productive of gout; but moderately exhilarant, and are 
without much reason unless the wines fitted for those persons 
when drunk to excess. That, who are easily excited, and in 
with those persons who are in whom the stronger wines gener- 
the practice of soaking large aUy produce febrile action, 
quantities of Port and Madeira, 
an occasional debauch in Claret 
may bring on a gouty paroxysm, 
is very possible; but the effect 
is to be ascribed chiefly to the 
transition fh>m a strong brandied 
wine, to a lighter beverage — a 
transition almost always follow- 
ed by a greater or less derange- , 
ment of the digestive organs. 
Besides, we must recollect that 
the wine which passes under the 
denomination of Claret, is. in 
most cases, a wine that is help- 
ed or blended. It is, therefore, 
unfair to impute to the wines of 
the Bordelais those mischieft, 
which if they do arise in the 
manner alleged, are probably in 
most instances occasioned by 
admixture of other vintages of 
less wholesome quality. 

Sherry, Sherry. 

For a long time the vintages Sherry is a fine wholesome 
of Spain, and particularly the wine, and when of due age and 
Sacks, properly so called, were good condition, f^e from excess 



r 



QUALinSS OF WINE. 218 

DOCTOR RENDIBSON. PftOF£B«OR BSANDE. 

preftored to all others fbr medici- of acid matter, and possessiog a 
nal purposes. The wines of Xerez dry aromatic flavor and flragran- 
still recommend themselves by cy, which renders it a fit stimu- 
their almost total absence of lant for delicate stomachs; as 
acidity. • such, it is a valuable article of 

the Materia Medica. But, as 
procured in the ordinary market, 
it is of most fluctuating quality, 
very often destitute of all aroma, 
tasting of little else than alcohol 
and water, and more or less co- 
lored to suit the fhncy of the 
purchaser. 

Madeira, Madeira^ 

Of all the strong wines, how- As a stimulant, rivals Port 
ever, those of Madeira, when It generaUy agrees with the 
of good quality, seem the best stomach, and when in fine con- 
adapted to invalids; being equal- dition is a perfect and excellent 
ly spirituous as Sherry, but pos- wine, particularly adapted to the 
sessing a more delicate flavor resuscitation of delicate consti- 
and aroma, and though often tutions, and to the excitement of 
slightly acidulous, agreeing bet- the nervous system in typhoid 
ter with dyspeptic habits. Some weakness. But, unfortunately, 
have thought them beneficial in good Madeira wine is rarely to 
cases of tonic, probably without be procured ; the trade overflows 
much cause; for, whenever a with a variety of inferior and 
disposition to inflammatory dis- mixed wines, of all prices and 
orders exists, the utility of any denominations, to which the 
sort of fermented liquor is very name of Madeira is most unde- 
doubtftil. servingly applied. In its purest 

form, Madeira is somewhat more 
acid than Port or Sherry, and is 
consequently not so well adapt- 
ed to stomachs inclined to dys- 
peptic acidity, where it is often 
complained of as peculiarly heat- 
ing and irritating. 



214 DIETEmO AKD MEDICAL 

DOCTOB HBirDBBSOir. PROPMSOR BRAMM. 

Vins de Liqueur. Vins de Liqueur, 

It IB difficult to coDjectare As the French tenn them, 
on what circumstances the an- require little notice in this place, 
cients founded their belief in being rarely taken in quantity 
the innocuous quality of sweet exceeding one or two small 
wines, contrasted with the drier glasses. Many of them are po* 
and more fully fermented kinds, tent, aromatic and cordial ; they 
They may not intoxicate so are generally more agreeable to 
speedily and ; as they cloy soon- the palate than beneficial to the 
er upon the palate, are perhaps stomach, with which they usual- 
generally drunk in greater mo- ly disagree, if indulged in be- 
deration. When new they are yond the usual prescribed quan- 
exceediogly apt to disorder the tity. 
stomach, and when used too 
fireely, they produce all the same 
effects as the heavier dry wines. 
In their more perfect state they 
may answer the purpose of agree- 
able and useftal ooMials ; but as 
the excess of saccharine matter 
retards their stimulant opera- 
tion, they ought always to be 
'taken in small quantities at a 
time. 

DOCTOR HERDSB80N. 

Sock 

The lighter wines of the Rhine, and those of the Moselle, ai6 
much more refrigerant than any of the preceding, and are fre- 
quently prescribed, in the countries where they grow, with a yiew 
to their diuretic properties. In certain species of leTer accompa- 
nied by a low pulse and great nervous exhaustion, they have been 
finmd to possess considerable efllcat^, and may certainly be given 
with more safety than most other kinds: as the proportion c€ 
alcohol in them is small, and its effects are moderated by the 
presence of firee adds. They are alio said to be of service ia 
diminishing obesi^. 



QUALITIES OF WINS. 215 

The quantity of these wines which may be taken 
with impunity, and the proportions requisite to ful- 
fil certain indications in disease, is greatly dependent 
upon their quality, and they accordingly either pro- 
duce the genial effects of genuine fermented liquors, 
or the febrile excitement of the products of the still, 
even when taken in due moderation. Thus it is 
that a single glass of tavern wine often heats and 
creates headache and disturbs digestion, in persons 
who are not habitually accustomed to the compounds 
which, at such places, frequently bear the name of 
wine. 

. It may not be out of place to remark, that the 
acidity of stomach and other symptoms of indiges- 
tion which follow occasional indulgence in wine, 
may to a great extent be prevented by a dose of 
magnesia at bed time, which saturates the acid in 
the stomach, allays the febrile action, and passes off 
the next day by the bowels. 

In certain conditions of the stomach which arises 
from too free indulgence in the pleasures of the 
table, hot water will allay the uneasy feelings more 
effectually than cold. 

An immediate cure for intoxication has been 
discovered by a French chemist ; it is acetate of am- 
monia dissolved in sugar and water. 



CHAPTER XXm 

OF THE ART OF DBIKKING WINE. 

(bt ctrus redding.)' 

INTEMPERANCE HOT INDUCED BY PUKE WINE — ^THE ABUSE, NOT 
THE USE OF wniE CONDEHNED — ART OF DRINKING VINE — MODE 
PRACTISED BY DIFFERENT NATIONS — ^WINSS AT FUBUC AND 
PRIVATE ENTERTAINMENTS — THE FRENCH MODE USUALLY 
ADOPTED — WINE GLASSES AND CUPS — THE OBJECT OF TAKING 
WINE — THE TRUE ENJOYER — THE ABUSER OF IT — ^MODERA- 
TION THE ONLY SAFETY. 

Thebe is one distinction should be made respect- 
ing the abuse of wine, in the character of a modem 
people ; this is the separation of inebriety by wine 
from that produced by agents not the product of 
vinous fermentation. There are few individuals 
comparatively, among the intemperate, who can lay 
the fault upon wine, in this country, if the pure 
juice of the grape be understood by that term. It 
is the produce of the still, mingled with* wine, that 
operates the mischief when wine is concerned at all. 
No wine is worthy to be drunk in a highly civilized 
community which is not made of grapes alone, care- 
fully selected £rom vines upon which practised labor 



ABT OP DKD^KINO WINB. 217 

has bestowed the proper culture, and that is not 
carried through the operations of the vintage and 
into the cellar with the most watchful attention. 

The northern nations of Europe have always 
drunk hard, and those who least approach the habits 
of the more civilized, have been most remarkable 
for this vice, while in the more civilized countries, 
the lowest orders of the people have been most 
habituated to it. In wine countries, people mix 
water with their wines, and when they drink them 
pure, take them in moderation. Their wines have 
no more than the natural alcohol, and wisely used 
prove a blessing, as they did to old Comaro. 

In all ages of the world, in sacred and profane 
history, the abuse and not the use of wine has been 
condemned. It is painful to reflect how much this 
abuse has converted what is naturally a blessing, 
into an evil of no ordinary magnitude ; so difficult 
is it to mark the limit of rational enjoyment even in 
the best things. The practice of drinking largely of 
wine has much decreased of late years; and though 
'' Attic taste with wine" may be a union as rare as 
before in any class of society, it is certain that wine 
was never less abused than in the present day, nor 
excess more generally avoided. 

A few remarks on the art of drinking wine may 
be acceptable to the majority of readers ; and there 
certainly is as much difference between the modes 
in which a horse drinks from the crystal stream, and 
the hog from his trough, as between the different 
modes practised in accordance with refinement and 



218 ABT OF DBINKIKa WINS. 

education, and vulgarity and ignorance. He that 
sits down frequently with a party never " less than 
the Graces, nor more than the Muses" in number, 
and is the occasional sharer in a debauch with the 
vulgar, will naturally see the gifts of Heaven used 
very differently, since the one partakes in a gratifi- 
cation merely animal, and the other in that which 
is social and refined ; with the one wine is the sauce 
merely, with the other it makes the great end and 
object of the occasion. 

Nations differ in the mode of using wine. The 
French take theirs at dinner, the English at and after 
dinner ; the Germans sit late and early ; the Bus- 
sians are only a little more moderate than the Ger- 
mans. The two last are boisterous in their cups ; 
the Frenchman takes just enough to make his con- 
versation sparkle like his own wines, among the 
ladies, with whom he rises from the tabla The 
English appear to combine the French and German 
modes. Still the national characteristic of the grave 
effects of wine on the Englishman remains, owing to 
the potent species in which he delights ; for just as 
old Froissart describes, he still '' gets drunk very 
sorrowfully." 

In the better grades of society, and where 
expense is of no moment^ the purer wines are 
generally taken ; but great care is necessary in going 
into company, as to the quality of wine a guest 
may find before him. K he has any apprehension, 
it is better he select one kind which is sound, and 
take no other. At public dinners, with nine-tenths 



AXr OF VBISKESQ WIN1S. 219 

of tayem wine, great hazards are run. In a large 
oompany, where the individual is thrown off his 
guard by speeohes, toasts, and claptraps of all kinds, 
it is &r better to order a decanter of weak cold 
punch, or very weak brandy and water, and pass 
the wine bottles as they come round. A decanter 
of Sherry and water half and half, or even lemon- 
ade may be substituted — ^many would this way 
excape a fearful headache. It is at public dinners 
and balls that bad wines (especially Champagnes) 
are got off| where excitement, dancing and exercise, 
or the heat of the rooms, make any cool liquid 
grateful to the palate. 

With the foregoing caution as to public dinners, 
or parties where "mine host" is not conversant 
with good wine, and scarcely knows fine Madeira 
from Cape, a good look*out must be kept ; this is 
easily done, for if there is a variety, no doubt some- 
thing tolerable may turn up. At tables of consid- 
eration in society, there will always be good wine 
of some kind, if there be any one species bad at all. 
It is not a good rule to drink of too many kinds of wine 
at dinner. A glass of full-bodied white wine should 
follow the soup. Good Sherry is perhaps the best, and 
then Madeira may be taken until the soup or first 
course is removed ; then the light wines may be intro- 
duced with effect, except Champagne, which should be 
drunk when the things are removing for the dessert. 

In fashionable life in Great Britain, there are 
always three, four, or more kinds of white wine, on 
the table during dinner, besides Fort on the side- 



220 ABT OF DBINSINa WINE. 

board. It is not common to take any red wine with 
dinner, as with some dishes it yeiy ill comports. 
The French nsuallj begin with white wine of some 
kind, as they frequently take oysters firsts with 
which red wines do not harmonize. The sweet 
wines and liqueurs should come after the ices. 
There is a method and fitness in all these matters. 
In the middling classes of society in Qreat Britain, 
where expensive wines are often given, the correct 
order of things is reversed, and no regard is paid to 
the course of the dishes, in which, at the moment 
of taking wine, the guests may be participating. 

A Frenchman will take oysters and a glass of 
Pontac or ChabUs. Then his soup is followed by a 
glass of good ordinary red wine, such as Macon. 
With the other wines he follows his inclination, 
sometimes Burgundy, Hermitage, or white growths, 
except, that after the first course is removed, he 
takes a small glass of Madeira or something similar. 
The French never decant their finest wines, such as 
Boman^e, Chambertin, or Lafite; and they take 
them out of very thin glasses. Champagne is drunk 
just before the dessert, and the ices are followed by 
liqueurs, sweet wines, or a glass of punch, k la 
Bomaine. The wines are never demanded but 
under the name of the particular growth. At pri- 
vate dinners i la Busse, the wines are placed upon 
the table, but no dishes. The guests help themselves 
to wine according to their fancy. The dishes are on 
side tables, the guests being presented with a card 
of variety for that day, so that each may order 



/^ 



ABT OF DBINKING WINS. 221 

the servants to bring what most pleases his fancy. 
The centre of th9 table is commonly decorated with 
an ornament, near which the wines are placed, when 
tfae table happens to be circular. Sometimes the 
servants pour out the wines. In most other coun- 
tries of the civilized world, in good society, the 
French mode is imitated pretty closely in the variety 
of wines, times and mode of taking them. German 
wines of all kinds, are taken out of green or 
colored glasses, after the manner of the country, 
although no reason can be assigned why the beauti- 
ful amber color of the old Hock wines should be 
obscured by using dark-colored wine glasses. 

In winter, when a bottle of wine instead of being 
bright looks clouded, it is the effect of excessive cold, 
and should be placed in a room where the temper- 
ature is warm, for two hours or so before dinner ; 
this precaution is quite necessary with Port wine, 
as it invariably becomes turbid by exposure to cold. 
The strong wines, such as Madeira, Sherry, and Port, 
may be decanted for use ; but this should not be 
done with the delicate French and German wines, 
either red or white, because their bouquet and 
freshness are thereby affected. It is for this reason 
that such wines are best drunk out of the bottle, 
the moment the cork is drawn, and without decant- 
ihg. Wines in which the deposit is loose in the 
bottle must be steadily decanted, otherwise, if set in 
motion no strainer will cure it The brilliancy of 
these wines can only be secured by keeping the 



222 ABT OF maansisQ wms. 

same side of the bottle up that was appermost^ and 
not ronning it too close to the sediiftent when decant- 
ing. 

All delicate wines shonld be taken out of thin 
white glasses. The reason why wines of this class 
drink better out of such glasses^ it is impossible to 
say. If we could divide a soap babble in two, 
while floating in the zephyr, we should have a per- 
fect bowl, out of which to quaff Sillery, Lafite, 
or Boman^. The great objection to the use of 
thin wine glasses, except to the opulent, is the 
facility with which they are broken by servante, 
which renders them expensive. To a man of taste 
in these matters, Sillery and Lafite would lose half 
their flavor in heavy coarse glasses, though to the 
thick oily wines de liqueur, or to the strong, or 
sweet wines, the said rule of adaptation does not 
seem to apply. The glass, and the specific gravity 
of the wine, should harmonize. The ancients had a 
passion for particular wine cups. The rich murrhine 
cup, out of which the emperors and patricians drank 
their Falemian wine, the Surrentine, the cups or vases 
of Saguntum in Spain, and so on. The murrhine cup 
was the great luxury, because it imparted a perfume 
to the wine drank out of it. The modem preference 
of thin glasses for the first clas^ wines, has there- 
fore the merit of a species of precedent. 

The art of taking wine is the science of excit- 
ing agreeable conversation, and eliciting brilliant 
thoughts for an idle hour between the repast and 
the drawing-room. Wine makes some men dull : 



ABT OF DBimaNa wine. 228 

Btfoh peraons on no account sboold drink the strong 
brandied wine^ of the soath, but confine themselves 
to the light red French growths, or to the white, 
pregnant with carbonic gas. K these fail to promote 
cheerfulness ; if with light Burgundy, with Lafite, 
or the ethereal sparkle of Champagne, a man con- 
tinue unmoved, he may depend the innocent use of 
wine cannot be his. He may excite himself by the 
stronger kinds, and half intoxicate himself to raise 
a leaven of agreeability which is altogether artifi- 
cial ; he may woo mirth " sorrowfully," but he will 
only injure his stomach and cloud his brain. Often- 
times do Englishmen drink themselves into tacitur- 
nity below-stairs, then ascend to the drawing-room, 
and sit silent and solemn as so many Quakers, among 
the fair sex. Such are past the stage of innocent 
excitement by a rational quantity of the juice of the 
grape. They take it because the effect is a tempora- 
ry indifference, and an agreeable suspense from pleas- 
ure and from pain. Such are not the true enjoyers 
of wine in its legitimate use ; and they should al- 
ways rise and retire with the ladies, for the effect 
upon them is that of a narcotic 

The true enjoyer of wine finds it to exhilarate 
the spirits, increase the memory, promote cheerful- 
ness ; or if he be something of a wit, it draws out his 
hoarded stores of good sayings and lively repartees, 
during the moment of relaxation firom thought, at 
the hour when it is good *' to sit awhile." This 
cheerful glass calls into action his better qualities, 
as with the ruby liquid he swallows "a sunbeam of 



224 AST OF ViBnsmSQ WIKX. 

the sky." He makes his wine seoondaij to Us oon* 
yersation, and when he finds the latter at what he 
thinks its keenest edge and brightest polish, he 
leaves the table to mingle with beauty, and ex- 
change the wine for a sparkle of more attractiye 
and higher character — ^perhaps to bask in " the pur- 
ple light of loye.*^ He who would destroy good 
wine by taking it when its flavor is no longer fiesh 
to the palate, is a drunkard ; he knows nothing of 
the refinement in animal enjoyment, which consists 
in taking rather less than enough. Always to rise 
from the feast with an appetite is a maxim which, 
however gourmands and sensualists may despise it^ 
is the course for a rational being, as well as that 
which yields the richest enjoyment By this we 
preserve the freshness of the first taste, the full fla- 
vor of the first sip : as the odor of the rose deadens 
upon the sense after the first exhalation, so it is with 
wine and with all our enjoyments. Thus we learn 
bow we may, in the truest and most refined sense, 
enjoy the pleasures by which the benevolence of 
HIM, who has given us the things enjoyed, is best re- 
paid by our enjoying wisely. Those whose standard 
of excellence in wine is its potency and inebriating 
qualities, imagine as long^ as they can get it into the 
stomach, it is no matter how the thing is done. Such 
persons may be styled '* stomach drinkers," and may 
as well attain the lodgement of the fluid in the part 
desired by means of a forcing-pump and a tube, as 
any other mode. The palate to them is secondary 
to the warmth of this general magazine of liquids 



ART OF DRIKONa WIKE. 225 

* 

and solids. One of true vino-grapliical taste, must 
feel horror at association over wine with such per- 
sons. A refinement even in our sins is better than 
the grossness of the coarser natures of mankind in 
animal vices. How much does this tell in innocent 
enjoyment. As Chesterfield felt when his son lick- 
ed the plate at table, despite all his instructions in 
good-breeding, it may be imagined how the man of 
refinement feels in the company of coarse and vulgar 
companions over wine. One half our pleasures are 
relative and conventional, and therefore this alloy in 
any mode turns them to pain. 

The chief thing in the art of drinking wine, is to 
keep within those salutary limits which mark the 
beneficial from the pernicious. In good society in 
the present day, this line is well defined ; but a man 
must mingle in this distempered life, with every 
class, and the difiiculty is to keep the mean in those 
cases, where others have no regard to it This is 
done by studying self-respect, and the art of saying 
" no," when the necessity for saying no is strongly 
felt. The courage to do this, and that absence of all 
fear of being accounted singular, — which it is a man's 
duty to cultivate, if he wish to be thought worthy of 
his species, will prevent his suffering in stomach, or 
moral character from that table complaisance which 
the too pliant have forced upon them contrary to 
their better feelings. 



15 



CHAPTER XXVIIL . ' 

MISCELLANIES. 

ICING WINE — COFFEE AFTER WIRE— 'BT7MFER GLASS — ^WASSAIL 
BOWL — FLEDGDTG AND DRINKING HEALTHS — ^HIF ! HIP ! HUR- 
RAH ! 

Icing Wine. 

The choicest wines are frequently iced, which is 
very injurious to their qualities, and prevents a due 
appreciation of their intrinsic excellence. It is a com- 
mon practice at balls and other public entertainments, 
to highly ice wines of low grades, thus disguising their 
inferiority, in order to make them drink more pala- 
table. Hock gains strength by cold, and is much 
improved by icing. Sparkling Champagnes are 
usually iced, in order to repress the tendency to effer- 
vesce ; but only to such an extent as may be found 
compatible with the more perfect flavor that we 
desire to find in them — Sillery sec or /SiZZ Champagne 
is invariably iced. With the exception of the preced- 
ing named wines, and perhaps one or two others, all 
the first growth qualities should be merely cooled, 
and drunk at the temperature of 60^ Fahrenheit, 
even during the extreme summer heat. 



MISCELLANIES. 227 

Coffee after Wine, 

The system adopted, in imitation of the French 
custom, of taking strong Coffee after wine, though 
so very agreeable, is injurious, if the wines taken 
during the meal have been Port, Sherry, or Madei- 
ra ; but not so if those of a lighter quality have been 
drunk. Great excitement attends upon this indul- 
gence, for coffee has a great influence on the stom- 
ach, and likewise upon the brain. Watchfulness of 
long duration, with ar feverish reaction, are its imme- 
diate effects ; but its distant ones are more upon the 
extreme capillary vessels of the surface of the body, 
which it seems to constringe : it affects the skin, to 
which it gives a peculiar harshness ; audit has been 
said by some of the French writers to give it color; 
and the sallowness of the Parisians has been, by 
more than one medical author, ascribed to their 
addiction to coffee. 

Bumper Olass. 

The word bumper, which has strangely puzzled 
Doctor Pegge and other etymologists, is only a slight 
corruption of the old French phrase bonper^ signify- 
ing a boon companion. To drink a cup of good- 
fellowship, or bumper health, may, therefore be 
regarded as strictly synonymous with the Greek 
"bumper glass." 

" Wine fills the veins, and healths are understood 

To give our friends a title to our blood : 
Who, naming roe doth warm his courage so, 
Shows for my sake what his bold hand would do." Wallbr 



228 MISCELLAKDES. 

Wassail BowL 

The word wassail is compounded of waes^ wish- 
ing, and had^ health, implying the wish of good 
health — the origin of the term Wassail Bowl is 
intimately connected with the practice of health- 
drinking. Mr. Brand, an English antiquarian, of 
great learning and research, states on the authority 
of Thomas de la Moore, and old Havilan, that was- 
haile and drinc-heil, were the usual ancient phrases 
of quaffing among the English, and synonymous 
with the " Come, here's to you," and " I pledge 
you," of the present day. The beverage was a 
preparation of ale, made by the admixture of spices, 
apples, sugar, and other ingredients, and denominat- 
ed wassail, while, those who served it were called 
wassaillers. 

The annual custom of handing round the wassail 
bowl, according to Geoffry of Monmouth and other 
writers, had its rise in the following circumstance. 
Hengist, the Saxon general, invited Yoltigern to a 
feast. Bowena, daughter of the Saxon, by command 
of her father, entered the banquet hall with a bowl 
of wine, and thus welcomed the British king — 
" Louerd king tvas-heil,^^ i. e. Be of health. Lord king. 
The British monarch, through the medium of an 
interpreter, replied, " Drinc-heiUy^ or drink health. 
This, according to Eobert of Gloster, was the first 
was-haile, and the poet thus relates the occurrence : 

" Health, my lord king, the sweet Rowcna said ; 
Health, cried the chieftain to the Saxon maid ; 



HI9CELLAKIES. 229 

Then gaylj rose, and 'midflt the concourse wide 
Kisa'd her hail lips, and placed her hy his side ; 
At th'e soft scene snch gentle thoughts abound, 
That health and kisses 'mongst the guests went round. 
From this the social custom took its rise, 
We still retain." 

This occurrence took place about the middle of 
the fourth century. Since that period, the practice 
of handing round the wassail bowl has been more 
or less intimately associated with the drinking usages 
in the British Isles. 

Shakspeare alludes to this custom, and says : 

" The king doth wake to-night, and takes his rouse, 
Keeps wassail, and the swaggering upspring reels." 

Baily also refers to it, and says it was common 
among the monks of St. Albans, and usually placed 
before the abbots to drink the health of their order. 

Pledging and Drinking Healths. 

The ancient custom of pledging healths, is said 
to have arisen from circumstances which occurred 
during the invasion of England by the Danes. 
These haughty conquerors would not permit an 
Englishman ^ to drink in their presence, without 
special permission, death being the penalty of dis- 
obedience. Their cruelty so intimidated the English, 
that even when permission had been given, they 
did not take advantage of it, until the Danes had 
pledged themselves not to endanger their lives 
while partaking of the draught. 



280 HISCELIiANIES. 

It is also said to have had its origin from the 
death of Edward the Martyr, who was murdered by 
the treachery of his step-mother Elfrida. Pledging 
was a security for the safety of the individual while 
drinking. When, therefore, a person was about to 
drink, he addressed the guest next to him, to know 
if he would pledge him, and being answered in the 
affirmative, the sword or dagger of his companion 
was raised to protect him while drinking; 

This custom is now quite extinct; and with few 
exceptions, even the more modem one of taking 
wine at dinner with guests is become obsolete. 

Hip I Hip I Hurrah I • 

We little think, when the wine sparkles in the 
cup, and soul-stirring toasts are applauded by our 
" Hip, hip, hurrah,!" that we are using a war cry 
adopted by the stormers of a German town, wherein 
a great many Jews had taken refuge. The place 
being sacked, they were all cruelly put to the sword 
under the shouts of "Hiebosolyma Est Perdita^" 
From the first letters of these words was the excla- 
mation contrived, H-E-P, Acp. 



CHAPTER XXIX. 

WINE PBOYBBBS AND SAYINGS. 

1. A oelUr without wine, a home without woman, a pune with- 

out money, are three deadly plag^ues. 

2. A German wasser-boozer, a Dutch Geneva smoker, and an 

English Port-guzzler, are the three drink monsters.^ 

8. A bottle of Chamhertin, a ragout d la SardanapaluSf " and a 
lady causev/Tj" are the best companions in France. 

4. A glass of good wine purges off distempers. 

5. A heart for wine is a heart for kindness. 

6. A pint of wine and good day to the bottle. 

7. A quarrelsome servant, a good horse, and a choice bofttle^ 

never stay long with a man. 

8. A real wine drinker laughs with his eyes. 

9. A two bottle port man is only a wine fhnneL 

•Sinclair, in his code of health, states that a Mr. Vanhom 
drank in the course of three and twenty years, sixty-nine pipes, 
or 85,688 bottles of Port wine, a quantity perhaps not exceeded by 
any drunkard of ancient or modeni times. 



232 WINE PBOYBBBS AND SAYINGS. 

10. A new iHend is as new wine, when it is old thon shalt drink li 

with pleasure. *. 

11. Baochns is a general lover; his eyes are all mnltiplierB. 

12. Bacchns has drowned more than Neptune. 

18. Bad wine is the gnest's horror and the host's disgrace. 

14. Beware of the wine vault ^^facUis descensus AvemV* 

16. Burgundy is the wine of princes, Silleiy of nobles, Claret of 
the gentle bom ; and Port of the citizens. 

16. Burgundy smiles, Hock winks. Champagne laughs, and Laflte 

puts a heart into aU. 

17. Buy Port glasses by the pound, Claret glasses'by the grain. 

18. By wine and mirth the beggar grows a king. 

19. Bad wine is never worth good water. 

20. Champagne, like flattery, soon gets into the head. 

21. Champagne is like criticism, nothing more execrable if bad, 

nothing more excellent if good. 

22. Champagne looks with peacocks' eyes, and every eye a dia- 

mond. 

28. Champagne glasses should be broad, not deep, with a Uurgo 
surfkce. 

24. Counsels in wine seldom prosper. 

26. Decant your Claret if you like, but pure wine should be drunk 
fh>m the bottle. 

26. Drink your enemy's wine; it's as good as your friend's. 



WINE PBOYERBS AND SAYINGS. 233 

27. Drink what yoa fill ; flU what yon will. 

28. Drink a glass of wine at twenty, at forty a pint or more, 
A bottle but rarely, if you'd add years two score. 

29. Dmnkenness is the canker-worm of health, and the mildew of 

the mind. 

80. Dmnkenness reduces man below the standard of a brute. 

81. Drunkenness destroys beauty and shortens life. 

82. Every inordinate cup's unblessed and th' ingredient a devil. 

t^. Fill a brimmer with old Hock, let other wine have daylight 
through the glass. 

84 Good wine should drink smooth, like liquefied velvet 
86. Good wine at supper makes an appetite at breakfast. 

86. Good wine needs no crier. 

87. Good wine needs no bush. 

88. Good wine gives good blood. 

89. Good wine never needs re-corking. 

40. If any invite you to worm out a secret, drink ftst and say little, 

it is ten to one the host falls into his own trap. 

41. If you are a traveller, avoid taking wine on the road. 

42. If an unwelcome guest, take care of the wine. 

48. ni temper over wine, is worse than brotherhood with swine. 

44. Hermitage is a church wine in name, in strength, and in pater- 
nity. 



\ 



284 WINS PROVSBBS AND BXYISQS. 

45. Honey is not for the aas's month, nor good wine for the foQl'& 

46. Hockfaeimer ripe from the golden Rhine ; 
Is the sparkling crown of aU Germui wine. 

47. Lore stole its pnrple light ftom the wine cap. 

48. Love loves not the intemperate, although Capid and Cluun- 

pagne may exchange many a glance. 

49. Moderation in the wine cap— yon cannot kill yonnelf by 

proxy. 

60. Never drink more than two kinds of wine at a sitting. 

61. Never abase the wine of yoar host, few men give bad wine 

intentionally. 

62. Never drink bad wine out of compliment, " self preservation is 

the first Uw." 

68. Never press wine on a guest^ it is ill mannered. 

64. Never bay cheap wine ; in vinology cheap means dfear, 

65. Never believe the wine good becanse the owner tells you so. 

56. Never leave wine in your glass at dinner, bat revive the glass 
in the cooler; fteshness is the soal of wine. 

67. No wise man drinks wine of two years when wine of one is to 

be had. 

68. Of all who take wine the moderate enjoy it. 

69. Of good wine none can make bad Latin. 

60. Of wine and love the first taste is best ; no second sip eqaals 

61. Olives and wine tell what a man is. 



WnnC PROVEBBS AND SAYINGS. 286 

62. On peahen's eggs, with old wine. 
Kings and conquerors may dine. 

63. Quarrels in matrimony and olives with wine give a relish. 

64. Red wine poisons oysters. 

66. Swallow bread to the fUU, but measure your wine. 

66. Six times a year to be joyful in wine, 
Shows a merry soul in a body benign. 

67. The best amaznttes of wine are nuts, olires, almonds, and 

water crackers. 

68. The bottle is of the aristocracy, treat it like a gentleman. 

69. The bouquet of wine comes like a sunbeam, and must be en- 

joyed at the moment. 

70. The Caliban of wine is Port ; the Ariel Champagne. 

71. The drunkard's &u1t is not the wine's, but his own. 

72. The host who drinks his own wine gives mute though eloquent 

testimony to its excellence. 

78. The most voluptuous of assassins is the bottle. 

74. The religion of wine is Catholic. 

75. The vine bringeth forth three grapes ; the first of pleasure, 

the second of drunkenness, the third of sorrow. 

76. Thick wine glasses are clownish, thin ones are princely. 

77. Tokay is a wine of more reputation than enjoyment. 

78. Value wine like woman, for maturity, not age. 



1 



236 WINE PROVERBS AND SAYINGS. 

79. When the cellar is empty, a man's all is gone. 

80. Whisper no gallantries at table, till the Champagne has gone 

round. 

81. Whom has not the inspiring bowl made eloquent 1 

82. Wine brings out the truth. 

88. Wine of the second bottle is a bad story-teller. 

84. Wine wit is the soul's rainbow. 

86. Wine kept open all night is not worth a mite. 

86. Wine that brightens the eyes, cheese without eyes, and bread 

all eyes, and fear no starration. 

87. Wine and youth, are Are upon fire. 

88. Wine is a turn-coat; first a friend, then an enemy. 

89. Wine, like pastime, is poison in the morning. 

90. Wine is such a whetstone for wit, that if it be often set thereon, 

it will grind all tlie steel out. 

91. What soberness conceals, drunkenness reveals. 

92. When the wine is in, the wit is out. 

98. Your stomach is your wine cellar, keep the stock small and 
good. 



CHAPTER XXI 

OF THE WINES OF THE ANCIENTS, 

BY DOCTOR HENDERSON. 

DESCRIPTION OF TBE MOST CELEBRATED — MATURING — DESI6NA* 
TION OF VINTAGES — PURCHASING — WIBE VESSELS — WINE CUPS 
—MODES OF DRINKINa — ^BANQUETS — DINNER ARRANGEMENTS 
— LIBATIONS TO THE GODS — CHAFLETS AND GARLANDS — 
FLEDGING AND DRINKING HEALTHS — RULER OF THE FEAST— 
ORDER IN USING WINES —SIMILARITT IN ANCIENT AND MODERN 
CONVIVIAL CUSTOMS. 

The most celebrated wines of the Greeks were 
grown on the coast of Ismarus, near the mouth of 
the Hebrus, where Ulysses received the supply 
which he carried with him on his voyage to the 
land of Cyclops. It was a black, sweet wine ; and 
from the evident delight with which Homer en- 
larges on its virtues, we may presume it to have 
been of the choicest quality. He describes it as 
" rich, unadulterate, and fit drink for gods," and so 
potent, that it was usually mixed with twenty 
measures of water. 

" And even then the beaker breathed abroad 
A scent celestial, which whoever smelt, 
Thenceforth no pleasure found it to abstain " 

Homer, Odysset, 9. 248. 



288 WINES OP THE ANCIENTS. 

The Pramniam, which was a red, bat not a 
sweet wine, appears to have been of equal antiquity, 
and was a strong, hard, astringent wine, somewhat 
similar to Port. It was neither sweet nor thick, but 
austere, and remarkably potent and durable, and 
like Port, was much commended for its medicinal 
uses. The Athenians, however, disliked this wine, 
which they said shrivelled the features and obstruct- 
ed the digestive organs; but in these respects it was 
far exceeded by the Corinthian wine, which to drink 
was said to be actual torture. 

It was in the luscious sweet wines that the 
Greeks surpassed all other nations, and to this class 
the commendations of their latest poets must be re- 
garded as chiefly applying. They were for the most 
part the product of the islands of the Ionian and 
^gean seas, where the cultivation of the vine was 
assiduously practised, and where the finest climate, 
and the choicest soils and exposures, gave to its fruit 
an uncommon degree of excellence. Lesbos, Chios, 
and Thasos, in particular seem each to have con- 
tended for the superiority of its growths ; but sev* 
eral of the other islands, such as Corcyra, Cyprus, 
Crete, Cnidos, and Rhodes, yielded wines which 
were much esteemed for their sweetness and deli- 
cacy; and it was from them the greater part of 
Europe was supplied, till a comparatively recent 
period, with the richest sweet wines. 

Amongst the Romans the Cecuban, the Setine, 
and Falernian were the most distinguished. The 
Setine wine was grown in the vineyards above the 



WIKES or THE AKCDBNTS. 289 

Forum Appii, and was considered a delicate light 
wine, and not apt to injure the stomach; SiLius 
Italicus declares it to have been so choice, as to be 
reserved for Bacchus himself. 

The Cecuban, on the other hand, is described by 
Galen as a generous durable wine, but apt to affect the 
head, and ripening only after a long term of years. 

No wine has ever .acquired such extensive celeb- 
rity as the Falernian, or more truly merited the name 
of " immortal,'' which Martial has conferred upon it. 
At least, of all ancient wines, it is the one most gen- 
erally known in modern times ; for while other emi- 
nent growths are overlooked or forgotten, few 
readers will be found, who have not formed some 
acqaintance with the Falernian ; and its fame will 
descend to the latest ages, along with the works of 
those mighty masters of the lyre who have sung its 
praises. It was a wine the ancients valued highly, 
keeping it until it became very old, and producing it 
only when they wished to regale their dearest 
firiends. At this distance of time, and with the im- 
perfect data which we possess, no one need expect 
to demonstrate the precise qualities of that or any 
other wine of antiquity. All writers agree in de- 
scribing this wine as very strong and durable, and 
so rough, in its youth, that it could not be drunk 
with pleasure, but required to be kept a great num- 
ber of years, before it was sufficiently mellow. 
Horace even terms it a " fiery wine," and calls for 
water from the spring to moderate its strength ; and 
Persius applied to it the epithet of *' indomitum," 



240 WINES OF THE ANCIENTS. 

probably in allusion to its headj quality. It was 
seldom in condition to drink under ten to twenty 
years of age, and Horace proposes in a well-known 
ode to broach an amphora which was coeval with 
himself, and probably not less than sixty years old : 
but Cicero did not think excessive age in wine a 
virtue, for supping one evening with Damassippus, he 
had some indifferent wine presented to him, which 
he was pressed to drink, " as being Falernian forty 
years old." On tasting it he pleasantly observed, 
" that it bore its age uncommonly well." 

It is generally conceded that the wines of Ma- 
deira when matured and of great age, bear the most 
striking resemblance to this celebrated wine. The 
soil of Madeira is analogous to that of the Cam- 
pagna Felice where the Falernian was produced; and 
the flavor and aroma of its wines are similar. 

The Surrentine wines were also of a very 
durable quality, " firmissima vina," as Virgil desig- 
nates them ; and on account of their lightness and 
wholesomeness, were much commended for the 
use of convalescents. Tiberius used to allege, that 
the physicians had conspired to raise their fame, 
but that in his opinion they only merited the name 
of "generous vinegar." In these respects they 
may be compared to some of the secondary growths 
of the Rhine, which, though liable at first to the im- 
putation of much acidity, will keep a long time, and 
continue to improve to a certain extent, but never 
attain the oily smoothness that characterizes the first- 
rate wines. 



WINES OP THE ANCIENTS. 241 

Whatever the merits of the ancient wines may 
have been, we have reason to believe that the tastes 
of the consumers of them were not very refined ; but 
they may have been equally palatable as the manu- 
&ctured trash which persons are often condemned 
to swallow, under the name of the finest wines ; but 
when we consider the effects of habit, which soon 
reconcile the palate to the most oflensive substances, 
and the influence of &shion and luxury, which 
leads us to prefer every thing that is rare and costly, 
to articles of more intrinsic excellence and moderate 
price, we may readily conceive that the Greeks and 
Bomans may be excused for their fondness for pitch- 
ed and pickled wines, on the same plea by which we 
justify our attachment to the use of tobacco, opium, 
and such drugs. 

Although we may succeed in obtaining a pretty 
accurate knowledge of the nature of ancient wines, 
yet it would be unreasonable to expect absolute cer- 
tainty on such a subject. Homer, and other author- 
ities of antiquity, seldom speak of wine without using 
some word to denote its richness, or its honeyed 
sweetness ; its potency and generous quality. 

The ancients, it appears, were fully skilled in 
the rules by which a good and durable wine is to be 
known. They observed that the wine which was 
grown upon elevated exposures, and produced from 
vines bearing a small quantity of fruit, was the 
soundest and most lasting ; while that obtained from 
low grounds was generally of indifferent quality. 
In like manner, those wines which were of a harsh 
16 



242 WINES OF THE ANCIENTS. 

flavor when new, tamed out the most durable; 
while such as were sweet and delicate at first did not 
keep long. 

They also, it appeared, knew how to appreciate 
the properties of good wines, if we may judge of the 
account of their respective and distinguishing char- 
acters by Galen, Pliny, and others. Poets, philoso- 
phers, and historians, have all joined in celebrating 
the virtues of wine ; and must, therefore, be familiar 
with it in its best and most refined state. It is in- 
deed highly improbable that Homer would have 
called the wine of his time " a divine beverage ;" or 
that Archestratus would have commended the juice 
of the Lesbian grape for its delicious fragrancy ; or 
that Hermippus would have extolled the Saprian 
wine, as giving the odor of violets, hyacinths and 
roses, and as filling the house with the perfume of nec- 
tar and ambrosia, when first broached, unless these 
wines had been possessed of qualities which naturally 
rendered them as.agreeable and as fascinating to the 
senses, as such panegyrics would imply. 

Maturing, 

It was a regular practice of the ancients to force 
the maturity of wines ; the means employed to effect 
this was the Fumarium^ or drying kiln, in which the 
vessels were subjected to such a degree of smoke and 
heat as was calculated to bring the wines to the de- 
sired point of maturity. This custom was borrowed 
from the Asiatics, who were in the habit of exposing 
their wines io the heat of the sun on the lops of their 



WINES OF THE ANCIENTS. 248 

houses, and afterwards placing them in apartments 
wanned from below, in order that they might be 
more speedily rendered fit for use. Although the 
tendency of this procedure may, according to our 
modern notions, appear very questionable; yet, 
when attentively considered, it does not seem to dif- 
fer much from that of the more recent method of 
mellowing Madeira, and other strong wines, by pla- 
cing them in a hot-house, or In the vicinity of a 
kitchen fire or baker's oven, which is found to as- 
sist the development of their flavor, and to bring 
them to an early maturity. 

Designaiion of Vintages. 

Horace informs us that in his day it was usual 
to attach to each wine a label, or mark indicative of 
the vintages, and of the names of the consuls in 
authority at the time, in order that, when they were 
taken out, their age and growth might be easily re- 
cognized. With the luxurious Bomans this became 
a point of great importance ; so that to particularize 
a choice wine, it was sufficient to mention the year 
it was placed in the cellar, as is abundantly proved 
by numerous passages of their poets. Pliny affirms 
that this mode of designating wines originated from 
the frequent adulterations that were practised in the 
manufacture, so that they could only be distinguished 
by the cellar-marks. Sometimes these marks were 
obliterated by the smoke to which the vessels had 
been exposed, as Juvenal alleges to have been the 
case with regard to some very old Setine wine : and 



244 WINES OF THE ANCTENTS. 

the custom of placing implicit fSEUth in such a crite- 
rion, must have given birth to namberless imposi- 
tions, as nothing could be more easy than to substi- 
tute one consul's name for another, or to give the 
semblance of age to a new label. 

Purchasing, 

At the Wine fairs of the ancients, various tricks 
appear to have bebn practised by the dealers. 
Some, for instance, put the new vintage into a cask 
that had been seasoned with an old and high-fla- 
vored wine : others placed cheese and nuts in the 
cellar, that those who entered might be tempted to 
eat, and thus have their palates blunted, before they 
tasted the wine. 

As the Bomans lived much in public, and but 
few had the necessary conveniences for keeping a 
stock of wine in their dwellings, persons of moder- 
ate fortune were supplied with a cask, or amphora, 
as they wanted it, from one of the public reposito- 
ries, where wines of all ages and qualities were to 
be had. 

In their purchases, wine of a middle age was 
usually preferred, as being the most wholesome and 
grateful ; but in those days, as well as ours, it 
was the fashion to place the highest value on what- 
ever was rarest, and an extravagant sum was often 
given for wines, literally not drinkable. Such 
seems to have been the case with the famous vin- 
tage of the year in which L. Opimus Nepos was con- 
sul, when, &om the great warmth of the summer, 



WINES OF THE ANoninB. 246 

all the productions of the earth attained an uncom- 
mon degree of perfection. Pliny and Martial de- 
scribe it as still inexhaosted at the period when they 
wrote, which was one hundred and sixty years i^* 
terwards, and was sold at the rate of ten dollars per 
bottle of the present current value of our money ; 
it was then reduced to the consistence of honey, and 
could only be used in small quantity, for flavoring 
other wines or mixing with water. 

Wine VkfseU. 

The most ancient receptacles of wine were prob- 
ably the skins of animals, rendered impervious by 
oil or resinous gums. When Ulysses proceeded 
to the cave of Cyclops, he is described as carrying 
with him a goat skin, filled with the rich black wine 
which he received from Maron, the priest of 
Apollo. As the arts improved, vessels of clay 
were introduced ; and the method of glazing them 
being unknown, or at least not used for this pur- 
pose, a coating of pitch was applied, in order to 
prevent the exudation of the liquor. In some cases, 
where wood abounded, as in the neighborhood of 
the Alps and in Ulyria, wine casks were made of 
that material ; but the vessels in general use among 
the Greeks and Bomans were of earthen ware ; and 
great nicety was shown in choosing for their con* 
fitruction such day as was least porous, and bore the 
action of the furnace best They had, for the most 
part, a bulging shape, with a wide mouth ; and the 
lips were turned out in such a way as to prevent the 



246 WINES OF THE ANCIENTS. 

ashes or pitch, with which they were smeared, from 
falling in when the cover was removed: such of 
them as were of considerable size were bound with 
leaden or oaken hoops to preserve them from rents 
and other accidents: they were of various sizes, 
some of them capacious enough to hold one to two 
hundred gallons each ; and the wine was drawn off 
as it was wanted for use into the amphora, a vessel 
which contained about six to seven gallons of our 
measure. 

The Greeks gave se preference to small vessels 
for the preservation of their wines — ^seldom exceed- 
ing eight or nine gallons each. The urna was the 
vessel most generally used ; it was of an elegant form, 
with a narrow neck, to which the two handles were 
attached, and the body tapering towards the bottom ; 
by which it could be fixed, with little trouble, in the 
ground, and the sediment deposited by the wine 
would not be easily disturbed by the process of 
decanting. Those made at Athens were most 
esteemed ; whence the representation of an amphora 
upon some of the Attic coins. Sometimes the name 
of the maker, or of the place where they were man- 
ufactured, was stamped upon the neck. 

.Occasionally these vessels received a lining of 
plaster, which was thought to diminish the rough- 
ness of the wine ; but the more common prepara- 
tion was composed of pitch, mastic, oil, and various 
aromatic substances ; and as the quality of the wine 
depended on the due seasoning, great care was taken 
to have them in proper order. In some of the re- 



WINES OP THE ANCIENTS. 247 

ceipts for the process in question, wax is recom- 
mended as a useful addition to the other ingredients, 
especially if a dry wine were desired : but Pliny and 
other writers condemn its use, as tending to ascency. 
For the more precious wines, the ancients occa- 
sionally employed vessels of glass. The bottles, 
vases, cups, and other articles of that material, 
which are to be seen in every collection of antiqui- 
ties, prove that they had brought the manufacture 
to a great degree of perfection ; even amphoras of 
glass are said to have been introduced, and Martial 
tells us that the choicest Falernian was kept in 
small glass bottles. 

Wine Oups, 

m 

Of the Greek artists it may, in truth, be affirmed, 
that they embellished every thing which they touch- 
ed. To the commonest utensils they gave not only 
the most convenient forms, but a high degree of 
beauty ; and it is from their paterae, cups, and vases, 
that the modems have borrowed the happiest 
models for the furniture of their dinner tables. 

Considerable ingenuity appears to have been ex- 
ercised in gratifying their taste for variety in drink- 
ing vessels, which prevailed among all ranks of 
people, and which all sought to indulge according 
to their means ; the rich, by forming large collec- 
tions of cups, on which the sculptor, lapidary, and 
jeweller had displayed the perfection of their skill, 
— the poor, by having their ivy and beechen bowls 
so curiously carved, that the beauty of the work- 



I' 



248 WINBS OF THE AKGI£N15. 

manship compensated for the meannees of the mate- 
rials. Some were formed of the purest clay, and dis- 
tinguished by their extraordinary lightness. They 
were coated with a varnish of bitumen and highly 
polished; and they were sometimes also imbued 
with aromatic substances, which imparted a gratefiil 
perfume to the liquor drunk out of them. 

Many of these cups were of solid silver, studded 
with gold and richly chased, and so massive withal, 
that when full it was with difficulty that one person 
could lift them. Of the profusion of plate among the 
Greeks and Bomans of later ages, we may form 
some idea from the fact that at the entertainments 
of the great, the master of the feast occasionally pre- 
sented his guests with the gold or silver cups in 
which they had been served with wine. Many per- 
sons carried this luxury so far as to have their gob- 
lets richly bedecked with gems; and those who 
could not afford other ornaments of the kind, trans- 
ferred the stones from their rings.* 

It was from the banks of the Nile that the 
Bomans were supplied with wine-glasses, as the 
Egyptians were early celebrated for their works in 

* So late as the sixteenth century, when Chancellor visited the 
Russian empire, he states that the Duke of Muscovy had two gold 
cups, set with pearls and precious stones, placed in the centre of a 
large table in the dining chamber, out of which he usually drank ; 
around these was a great variety of other gold cups for the nobles, 
and among them stood four cruduceres, or pots of gold and silver 
for holding the wine, fully four feet in height. At one entertain- 
ment given by the duke, there were two hundred guests aU served 
with drink in golden goblets. 



WINS& OF THE ANClEmS, 249 

glass ; the use of them was very general in the So- 
man capital, and we meet with several allusions in 
the poets to the frequent breaking of them by those 
who drank their wine mixed with hot water. Such 
as affected great state, despised what had grown so 
cheap, and drank only from cups of gold. 

The murrhine was the most celebrated of all the 
cups, and was so called &om the substance of which it 
was made. It was very highly prized, and, though at 
first dedicated to the service of the gods, afterwards 
came into common use among the wealthy and luxu* 
rious. Pliny states they were formed from a natural 
fossil, and dug from the earth like rock crystal. He 
names one possessed by a person of consular rank, 
who was so fond of using it, that the edge of it 
bore the marks of bis teeth : yet these marks rather 
enhanced the value than otherwise, as they served to 
show the genuineness of the stone ; describing it he 
says it had a certain degree of lustre without the bril- 
liancy of the precious gems ; but was chiefly valued 
for its variegated colors, and its zones of purple and 
white, and yellowish red, passing into each other, and 
refracting the light. Those which showed the broad- 
est and closest veins were preferred : transparency or 
paleness of color being reckoned a defect Much of 
the beauty also consisted in the tubercles and crystals 
which were imbedded in its substance : and it was fur- 
ther distinguished by its perfume. 



250 WINES OF THE ANCIENTS. 

Modes of Drinking. 

The prevailing practice of the Greeks was to 
drink their wines in a dilated state ; the proportion 
of water used varied according to the taste of the 
drinkers, and the strength of the wine, from one 
part of wine and four of water, to two of wine and 
four, or else five parts of water ; which last seems 
to have been the favorite mixture. The Maronean 
and Thasian wine was diluted with twenty to 
twenty-five measures of water. But it must be 
remembered that the wines in question were not 
only inspissated, but also highly seasoned with 
various aromatic ingredients, and had often con- 
tracted a repulsive bitterness from age ; in fact they 
may be said to have been used merely for the 
purpose of giving a flavor to the water. 

When Horace was enjoying the retirement of 
his Sabine farm, he laments that he could only treat 
his guests with such light wine as the country afford- 
ed ; but when he mixed in the gayeties of Home, 
he seems to have made frequent purchases of the 
more costly kinds; and on such occasions his muse 
commonly appears in her most sportive mood ; 
evincing, what he himself affirms to be the case, that 
his numbers flowed more freely when he indulged 
in draughts of a purer and more generous quality. 

Banquets, 

When Homer wrote, there seems to have been 
but little variety in the entertainments of his coun- 



WINES OF THE ANCIENTS. 251 

trymen. Eoast beef was the ordinary fare of the 
heroes of the Iliad and Odyssey; no fish, no poultry, 
no made dishes, appeared on their boards; probably 
because such delicacies were not thought sufiBciently 
solid nourishment, or were accounted unseemly to 
persons inured to fatigue, and braving all kinds of 
hardship. In the course of time, as commerce ex- 
tended, and the arts of life advanced, the entertain- 
ments of the Greeks became conspicuous for the mul- 
tiplicity of dishes, as well as for the skill and refine- 
ment displayed in the preparation of them. The 
gratification of the palate, which before was deemed 
unworthy of serious thought, now grew to be a mat- 
ter of infinite consequence; voluminous treatises 
were composed on the subject ; and poets and philoso- 
phers contended for the prize in this novel depart- 
ment of literature. A complete Art of Cookery, be- 
ginning with truflfles and ending with tunny fish, was 
furnished by Philoxemus of Cythera, the proto- 
type of some noted epicure of modern times, who 
prayed for the neck of a crane in order to prolong 
his pleasures; and who when he dined abroad, was 
attended by pages carrying oil, vinegar, and other 
sauces to season the dishes of which he might be 
invited to partake. Even Aristotle is said to have 
applied his talents to a compilation of a code of 
laws for the table, and to have been known among 
his cotemporaries as a lover of fish. Nor, extrava- 
gant as they may often appe^ir, were the boasts of 
the culinary artists of those days altogether vain ; for 
the ample details of their performances, which have 



252 WINES OF THE ANdBNTSw 

been handed down to us by the author of the 
DiEPNOSPHiSTJS, shows, that they left but little for the 
inventive genius of their successors to accomplish. 

Dinner Arrangements^ 

A revolution similar to that which has marked 
the progress of luxury in recent times, occurred in 
ancient Greece and Rome, with respect to the hours 
of the principal meals. Originally the hAtrvov and 
coena divided the day : but when the pleasures of 
the table had become an important part of the busi- 
ness of life, they were deferred till the afternoon or 
evening, in order that they might less interfere with 
the more serious avocations of the guests. The 
morning repast was reduced, and the dinner usurped 
the place of supper. With those who lived luxuri- 
ously this meal was usually preceded by a collation, 
at which various light food, such as oysters, eggs, 
asparagus, lettuce, olives, figs, were presented, and 
mvlsum^ or a mixture of wine and honey, was 
drunk.* Then came the first course, consisting of 
the most substantial dishes; and this, again, was 
followed by the dessert, at which pastry, fruit, and 

* Thus at the well furnished tables of France, as we learn from 
the author of the " Manual de Amphitryons," oysters, either at 
breakfast or dinner, are eaten before the first course, and before the 
soup. It is the introii of all repasts ; and in Italy, the dinner is 
frequently ushered in by dishes of figs, Bologna sausages, &^ 
The coup d/avarU of wermuth^ or sweet wine compounded with 
wormwood and other aromatic herbs, which is customary in some 
countries, may be regarded as equiralent to the draught of 



WINKS OF THE ANCIENTS. 258 

Other delicacies invited the appetite, and the stronger 
wines were put into circulation. 

At the banquets of heroic times each guest had 
a separate cup; and larger cups and purer wine 
were presented to the chiefe, or those friends whom 
the master of the feast desired to honor. It was 
also a mark of respect to keep their cups always 
replenished, that they might drink as freely and 
frequently as they were inclined. The wine, which 
bad been previously diluted to the requisite stand- 
ard in a separate vessel, was served by the attend- 
ants, who were either the heralds of the camp, or 
boys retained for that purpose. Besides these cup- 
bearers, the wealthy Athenians had their butlers, 
or inspectors of the wine, whose business it was to 
watch the movements of the table, and see that all 
the guests were properly supplied. 

Libations to the Oods. 

At the conclusion of the dinner, pure wine was 
handed round : but before it was drunk, a portion 
of it was poured upon the ground or table, as an 
oblation to Jupiter and all the Gods, or to some one 
deity in particular ; and the cup was always filled 
to the brim, as it was held disrespectful to offer any 
thing in sacrifice but what was full and perfect. 
Hence the goblets were said to be crowned with 
wine. 

Analogous to these libations was the custom, 
which afterwards came to prevail at the Grecian 
festivals, of dedicating successive cups to particular 



254 WINES OF THE ANCIENTS. 

divinities. Thus the first cup of pure wine was 
sacred to Bacchus, under the name of the Good 
Genius ; the second belonged to Jupiter the Savior, 
and consisted of a mixture of wine and water; then 
came the cup of Health, which was drunk when 
the company washed their hands; and the enter- 
tainment concluded with the cup of Mercury, as the 
patron of the night, and dispenser of sleep and 
pleasing dreams. These ceremonies, however, were 
not always observed in the order just stated : they 
no doubt varied in the states of Greece, and in later 
ages fell altogether into disuse. 

Chaplets and Oarlands. 

Previously to the introduction of the second 
course, the guests were provided with chaplets of 
leaves or flowers, which they placed on their fore- 
heads or temples, and occasionally, also, on their 
cups. Perfumes were at the same time offered to 
such as chose to anoint their face and hands, or have 
their garlands sprinkled with them. This mode of 
adorning their persons, which was borrowed from 
the Asiatic nation, obtained so universally among 
the Greeks and Bomans, that, by almost every au- 
thor after the time of Homer, it is spoken of as the 
necessary accompaniment of the feast. It is said to 
have originated from a belief that the leaves of cer- 
tain plants, as the ivy, myrtle, and laurel, or certain 
flowers, as the violet and rose, possessed the power 
of dispersing the fumes and counteracting the nox- 
ious effects of the wine. On this account the ivy 



WINES OP THE ANCIENTS. 255 

has been always sacred to Bacchus, and formed the 
basiiS of the wreaths with which his images and the 
heads of his worshippers were encircled ; but being 
deficient in smell, it was seldom employed for festal 
garlands ; but in general the preference was given 
to the myrtle, which, in addition to its cooling or 
astringent qualities, was supposed to have an exhil- 
arating influence on the mind. On ordinary occa- 
sions the guests were contented with simple wreaths 
from the latter shrub; but at their gayer entertain- 
ments, its foliage was entwined with roses and violets, 
or such other flowers as were in season, and recom- 
mended themselves by the beauty of their colors, or 
the fragrancy of their smell. Much taste was dis- 
played in the arrangement of these garlands, which 
was usually confided to female hands ; and as the 
demand for them was great, the manufacture and 
sale of them became a distinct branch of trade. To 
appear in a disordered chaplet was reckoned a sign 
of inebriety ; and a custom prevailed of placing a 
garland, confusedly put together, on the heads of 
such as were guilty of excess in their cups. Several 
passages of the Fableaux show, that so late as the 
twelfth and thirteenth centuries, the above deco- 
ration of the banquet was still in vogue ; and in 
England the ceremony of crowning the wassail-ljowl 
was retained to a comparatively recent period. 

Pledging and drinking Healths, 
When the richer wines were circulated, it was 

« 

usual for the master of the feast, or whoever occupied 



256 WINES OF THE ANCIENTS. 

the uppermost seat, to begin the round by pledg- 
ing the principal guests ; that is, he tasted the wine 
and saluted the company, or the guest on his right 
hand if a person of distinction, to whom the cup was 
then passed, and who was expected to finish its con- 
tents. At the banquets of the Grecian chiefs this 
form seems to have been religiously observed ; and 
even the gods are described by Homer as pledging 
one another in nectar from golden beakers. When 
Dido entertained JEneas and his companions, she is 
said to have called for a capacious goblet of massive 
gold, profusely adorned with gems, which she filled 
with pure wine. Having made the due libation to 
Jupiter and the other divinities, she approached the 
wine to her lips, and then handed it to Betias, who 
eagerly drank it off; and afterwards the bowl was 
handed to the other chiefs. To drink in this manner 
was considered a proof of friendship, and the cup so 
presented termed a bumper glass. 

It was also a common practice at the convivial 
meetings of both the Greek and Boman nations to 
drink to the health of distinguished individuals, and 
to the absent friends and mistresses of the guests ; 
and the respect or attachment entertained for those 
whose names were toasted was supposed to be indi- 
cated by the greater or lesser number of cups which 
the proposer filled out to their honor. Some were 
partial to the number of the MuSES : but those who 
studied moderation confined themselves to that of 
the Graces. 



WINES OP THE ANCIENTS. 267 

Ruler of the Feast. 

With a view to maintain due order in the proceed- 
ings, and see that all the company drank fairly, a 
leader or president of the feast was appointed, who 
was either the person at whose expense the entertain- 
ment was given, or one of the guests chosen by lot 
In all matters relating to the ceremonies of the table 
his authority was absolute, and none durst dispute 
his decrees as long as he remained in the company ; 
the rule being either to drink or to be gone — aut 
bibcd^ aut abeat. Alluding to this practice, Cicero 
remarks in one of his pleadings against Yerres, 
" that though he had set at nought all the laws of 
the state, yet he was never known to violate those 
of the bottle." In his hours of relaxation the orator 
seems to have taken great delight in these social 
parties, where excess was restrained, and the most 
agreeable turn was given to the conversation, by the 
prudent management of the president of the day ; 
and the temperate enjoyment of the luxuries of the 
table only served to promote the flow of wit, and 
exalt the pleasures of rational intercourse. 

Order in using Wines, 

Although the fact is nowhere distinctly stated, 
we may collect from the general arrangement of the 
Grecian banquet, as well as the commendations be- 
stowed on those wines which were drunk in their 
pure state, that the more ordinary kinds were used 
during dinner, while the richer were reserved for 
17 



258 WINES OF THE ANCIENTS. 

the dessert The latter, indeed, must have been al- 
ways too rare and costly to be used without restraint. 
But besides this general distribution of wines at en- 
tertainments, we find, from some verses of another 
comedy by the same poet, that it was not unusual to 
have a portion of sweet wine presented to the guests 
in the middle of the repast, by a female attendant, 
who is represented as bearing it in a rich silver ves- 
sel, of a peculiar fashion, from which each probably 
drank in his turn.* 

The Eomans, who borrowed most of the con- 
vivial customs of the Greeks, were, however, -less 
scrupulous observers of forms ; at least, greater lib- 
erty seems to have been allowed at their entertain- 
ments to such as chose to increase the strength of 
their cups ; but in general the same order was pre- 
served in the service of the diflFerent wines, and it 
was only after the lighter sorts began to pall upon 
the palate, that the older and stronger kinds were 
produced. 

• 

* How similar, in almost every respect, the modern usage, as 
described by a great arbiter of convivial etiquette. There are two 
manners of serving the " coup de mileu" either by an Amphitryon 
who pours it into very small crystal glasses appointed for this 
use, and who passes it to each guest, beginning on his right, or by 
a young girl from fifteen to nineteen years of age, fair complexion 
without any ornament on her head, her arms bare above her elbow ; 
and holding in her right hand the glasses and in her other the 
bottle, she serves each guest successively before whom she stops : 
but in whatever manner the " coup de mileu " may be served, it is 
always unique, and under no pretence could any decline partaking 
of it. — Manual de AmphUryons. 



WINES OF THE ANCIENTS. 259 

Similarity in ancient and modem Convivial Chistoms. 

If we compare the ceremonies and usages pre- 
viously mentioned, with the convivial customs of 
the present day, we cannot but be struck with the 
numerous coincidences which subsist between them. 
The arrangements of our dinners, the succession and 
composition of the diflferent courses, the manner of 
filling our glasses, of pledging our Mends, and of 
drinking particular healths, are all evidently copied 
from the Greeks and Bomans ; and although certain 
peculiarities in our situation and habits have ren- 
dered the use of bumper cups and undiluted liquors 
not so prevalent amongst us, yet the common distri- 
bution of wines at our banquets cannot be considered 
as very diflferent from that which we have been dis- 
cussing. With another modern nation, however, 
which has been thought to resemble the ancient 
Greeks in character, the analogy is still more com- 
plete. Thus, at all entertainments among' the 
French, the ordinary wine is used with a large ad- 
mixture of water, generally in the proportion of one 
to three, except immediately after soup, when it is 
drank pure. The finer kinds are circulated in the 
intervals between the courses, or towards the end of 
the repast, and hence are termed vin 6^ entremets ; but 
with particular dishes certain wines are served, as 
Chablis with oysters, and Sillery after roast meat. 
The coup d^avant of wermuth has been already no- 
ticed as corresponding with the draught of mulsum^ 
and the coup du mileuj which consist of some liqueur. 



260 WINES OF THE ANCIENTS. 

may be regarded as identical with the cup of sweet 
wine handed round in the middle of a Grecian feast. 
With the dessert the luscious sweet wines are al- 
ways introduced. 



ALCOHOLIC STRENGTH OF WINES. 

Table showing the quantUy of Alcohol {of the specific gra- 
vity (j/* 0*825 at 60°.) contained in the following wines. 

(aOOOBDIMO to FB07EB80B BSANDK.) 



aaret, from 12-91 to 17-11 
Champagne, Si>arkliiig. . 

Saateme, 

Banao and Vln de Grave 
Borgundy, from 11*95 to 

16-60 

Hermitage, 

C6teKofie, 

Frontignac, 

Lonel, 

Bheny, from 18*25 to 

19-81 

Malaga, 

Biadeira, from 19-24 to 

84-42 



PropoTtioool 

Spirit Mr 

IOOGaUoiu. 



Average, 
15-10 
12-80 
18-80 
14-22 
18*86 

14-67 
12-82 
12-82 
12-79 
15-62 

19-17 
17-26 

22-27 



Malmsey Madeira 

Port, ft-om 19-00 to 25-88 

Bacellae, 

Lisbon, 

CarcavelloB, 

Hock or Khine Wines, 

8-88 to 14-87 

Teneriffe, 

Vidonia, 

Marsala or Sicily Madeira 

Lacryma Christi, 

Tokay, 

Aleatico, 

Svracase, 

Sniraz, 

Constantia, ....^ 



Proportion of 

Spirit p«r 

100 Golloat. 



Average. 
16-40 
22-96 
18-49 
18-49 
18-49 

12-08 
19-79 
19-26 
26-08 
19-70 
9-88 
16-20 
15-28 
15-52 
16-28 



Although the above Table, in the main, may be 
received as correct, it is, notwithstanding, subject to 
some trifling fluctuation, arising from the nature of 
the seasons, the quality of the fruit, the fermentation 
and mode of manufacture. No two vintages are 
alike, nor is the same kind of wine, made the same 
year by different wine-growers, precisely similar. 



INDEX OF WINES. 



Amontillado, . 


83 


Covering wines, . 


txmm 

. 149 


Arinto, 


. 103 


Cyprus, 


182 


Ay, • 


69 






• 




Dibs, 


. 146 


Barsac, 


. 68 






Beni Carlos, . 


87 


Frontignac, . 


76 


Boiled wines, 


. 147 


Frozen wine, 


. 146 


Bnal, . 


96 


Fuiasy, 


71 


Bncellas, . 


. 108 


• 




bur^ndy, 


66, 210 


Grave, 


. 68 






Goutted'Or, . 


71 


Canary, . 


. 114 






Cape, . 


189 


Hermitage, 


. 73 


Carcavellos, 


. 103 


Hockheimer, . 


111 


Champag:ne, . 


66,208 


m 




Chablis, . 


. 71 


Johannisberg, 


. 108 


Chambertin, . 


68 






Chateau Grillet, . 


. 76 


Lacryma Cbristi, 


119 


Chateau Haut Brion, . 


61 


Lagrima de Malaga, 


. 86 


Chateau Lafite, . 


. 61 


Lisbon, 


108 


Chateau Latour, 


61 


Lunel, 


. 76 


Chateau Margaux, 


. 61 






Claret, 


49, 211 


Madeira, 


94, 218 


Clos Vougeot, 


. 67 


Malmsey, * . 96,108,114 


Commandaria, 


133 


Manzanilla, . 


83 


CoDStantia, 


. 189 


Marsala, . 


. 123 


C6te Rotie, . 


76 


Medoc, 


49 



264 



INDEX OF WINES. 



Meanalt, 




rjMM 

,71 


Sicily Madeira, 


128 


Mont Rachet, 




70 


Sillery, . 


. 58 


Moselle, 




111 


Stcinbergtr, . 


109 


Muscadine, . 




76 


St. George, 


. 68 




» 




St. Perai, 


77 


Oloroso, . 




84 


Tacbe, 


. 68 


Paxareta, 




85 


Terms, 


148 


Pedro Ximenes, . 




85 


Termo, 


. 108 


Port, . 


. 101 


,211 


Teneriffe, 


115 


Preignac, . 




53 


Tent, 


. 86 


Pomard, 




69 


Tinta, . 


99 


• Pontac, 




53 


Tinto, 


. 96 


Pure Juice, . 




144 


Tinto di Rota, 


86 


Pouilly, . 




71 


Tokay, . 


. 125 


Rhine wines, . 


. 105, 214 


Yal de Penas, 


87 


Richebourg, 




68 


Verdeilho, 


. 97 


Rivesaltes, 




76 


Vin de Garde, 


n 


Romance Conti, . 




67 


Vin de Grave, 


. 58 


RomanSttSt. Vivant, 




67 


Vin de Liqueur, 


76, 144, 214 


Rousillon, 




75 


Vin de Paille, 


. 77' 


Rudesbeimer, 




109 


Vins de Primeur, 
Vinfou, . 


69 
• 144 


Sack, 




84 


Vidonia, 


115 


Sauterne, 




53 


Vino de Pasto, 


. 83 


Sercial, 




95 


Vino Santo, . 


143 


Sherry, 


. 82, 


212 


Vinum Theologicum, . 141 


Sbiraz, 




138 


Volnay, 


69 



LIST OF WINES 

ALPHABETICALLY ARRANGED, AND COUNTRIES IN 

WHICH PRODUCED. 



Kam*. 




Abasas, 

Abocftdo, 

Abrio, 

Abaac, 

Adenas, 

Affenboarg Hamen, 

Agros, 

Ahrweiler, 

Aignillon, 
Ajaccio, 
Albaoeto, 
Alba filora. 

Albano, 
Albi, 
Aleatico, 
Aleatico, 

Aleatico, 

Alenqner, 

Aleyor, 
Alicant, 
AUassac, 

Aloze, 
Altenahr, 



Alto Donro, Oporto, 
Xerez, Spain, 
Dordoene, France, 
Gironde, do. 
Rhone, do. 
Coblentz. Germany, 
Cyprus, Greece, 
Rhine, lefl bank, 

Germany, 
Garonne, France, 
Corsica, do. 
New Castile, Spain, 
Minorca, do. 

Roman States, Italy, 
Languedoc, France, 
Elba, lUly, 
Tuscany, do. 

Roman States, do. 

Estremadura, Port- 
ugal, 
Minorca, Spain, 
Valentia, do. 
Corrdze, France, 

Cdte d'Or, do. 
Rhine, left bank, 
Germany, 



Port wine. 

Sherry wine. 

White, sweet and dry. 

CUret. 

Red. 

Rhine wine. 

Sweet white. 

Rhine wine. 

White, sweet. 

Red and White. 

Red, tolerable <}uality. 

White, resembhng Rhine 
wine. 

White muscadine. 

Red and White. 

Good wine. 

Resembling the Tinto of 
Alicant. 

Yin de liqueur, not dura- 
ble. 

Resembling inferior Bor- 
deaux. 

Tolerable Red wine. 
Do. 

Red and White, rery 
durable. 

Burgundy. 

Rhine wine. 



266 



LIST OF WINES. 



K--. 


• 

Comirj. 


Dmatfiam. 


Altkircb, 


Haut Rhin, France. 


Red and White. 


AWacoes do Corgo, 


Alto Douro, Oporto, 


Port wine. 


Alzenburger, 


Breisig, Germany, 


Rbine wine. 


Amazoa, 


Lot et Garonne, 


White, generous good 




France, 


wine. 


Ambes, 


Gironde, France, 


Claret. 


Ambonnay, 


Rheims, do. 


Champagne. 


Amfabr, 


Rbine, left bank, 
Germany, 


Secondary Moselle. 


Ammerscbwir, 


Haut Rhin, France, 


Straw wine, rich and lus- 


■ 




cious. 


Amontillado, 


Andalusia, Spain, 


Very dry, delicate white. 


Ampuis, 


Isere, France, 


Red. 


Annaj, 


Yonne, do. 


Burgundy. 

Good country wine. 


Antellay, 


Tuscany, Italy, 


Antignana, 


Istria, Austria, 


Red and White, good. 


Arbois, 


Jura, France, 


Still and sparkling, good 






quality. 


Arcetri, 


Roman States, Italy, 


White. 


Arcins, 


Gironde, France, 


Claret. 


Argeles, 


Hautes Pyr^ndes, 
France, 


Inferior wine. 


Argentac, 


Correze, France, 


White. 


Argentidre, 


Ardecbe, do. 


White and Red. 


Arguzaux, 


Landes, do. 


Red. 


Arnfela, 


Lr. Styria, Austria, 


Tolerable wine. 


Araac, 


Gironde, France, 


Claret. 


Arsaree, 


Jura, do. 


Red. 


Artimimo, 


Tuscany, Italy, 


Good country wine^ 


Arva, 


Bannat of Tames- 

war, Hungary, 
Campagna, Italy, 


Good Red wine. 


Asprino, 


White sparkling. 


Asque, 


Gironde, France, 


Claret. 


AssmannshaTiser, 


Rheingau.nr.Rudes- 


Red, similar to second 




heim, Germany, 


class Burgundy, 


Aflti, 


Piedmont, Italy, 


Good wines. White and 
Red. 


Astracan, 


Crimea, Russia, 


Red and White. 


Aubiac, 


Gironde, France, 


Claret. 


Aubigny, 


Rheims, do. 


Red. 


Augenscheimer, 


Treves, Germany, 


Moselle. 


Augusta, 


Sicily, Italy, 


White. 


Aussac, 


Tarn, France, 


White. 


Auxerre, 


Yonne, do. 


Burgundy. 


Avenay, 


Rheims, do. 


Champagno red. 


Ayensan, 


Gironde, do. 


Claret 



LlSr OF WIKE8. 



267 




Ayirey, 

Ayise, 

Ayola, 
Ay, 

Azano, 
Azy, 



Bacalan, 
Bacharach, 
Badenweiler, 
Bagneres, 

Bagneox la Fosse, 
Bagnols, 

Baia, 

Baixes, 

Ballan, 

Banal Busa, 
Bangert, • 
Banylas, 

Bar, 

Barb« Blanche, 

Baroles, 

Bam-a-Barra, 

Barsac, 

Bar sur Anbe, 

Ban, 

Bas Medoc, 

Basaens, 

Bassieux, 

Bastia, 

Batard Mont Ra- 

chet, 
Baurecb, 
Bazas, 
Beaumont^ 
Beaume, 
Beaames, 
Beannt, 



Anbey, France, 

Mame, do. 

Panna, Italy, 
Marne, France, 

Parma, Italy, 
Aisne, France, 



Gironde, France, 
Mayence, Germany, 
Baden, do. 

Hantes Pyr6n6es, 

France, 
Aube, France, 
Pyr^n^es Orientales, 

France, 
Naples, Italy, 
Ronsillon, France, 
Indre, do. 

Majorca, Spain, 
On the Nahe, Ger'y, 
Pyr6nde8 Orientales, 

France, 
Mense, France, 
Gironde, do. 
Rh6ne, do. 
Lavadio, Portugal, 
Gironde, France, 
Aube, do. 
Naples, Italy, 
Gironde, France, 

Do. do. 

Rhone, do. 
Corsica, do. 
C6te d'Or, do. 

Gironde, do. 
Do. do. 
Rheims, do. 
La Drdme, do. 
Gironde, do. 
C6te d'Or, do. 



X>Meriptka. 



Champagne red, light 
and agreeable. 

Champagne, good qual- 
ity 

Ordinary wine. 

Champagne, creaming, of 
the finest quality. 

Ordinary wine. 

Champagne. 



Claret 

Formerly in high repute. 
Best wine of Baden. 
Inferior wine. 

Champagne. 
Red. 

White, dry, and sweet. 

Red. 

Red and white, tolerable 

wine. 
White. 

Secondary wine. 
Red and white. 

Grey or rose- color wine. 

Claret 

Red. 

Red. 

White. 

Champagne. 

Muscadine inferior. 

Claret 

do. 
Red. 

Red and white. 
White Burgundy. 

Claret. 

do. 

Champagne, 
Red Hermitage. 
White. 
Burgundy. 






268 



LIST OF WINES. 



Nmm. 



Beansoleil, 

Beantrmn, 
Becherback, 

Begadan, 

Bellagio, 

Bellecave, 

Beni-Carlos, 

Berchetz, 

Bergerac, 

Berghansen, 

BeriDgfleld, 

Bernang, 

Bern, 

Bessas, 

Bessingheimer, 

Beze, 

Beziera, 

Bianillo, 

BieUa, 

Birthalman, 

Biflchillato,* 
Biflchoftheim, 

Blagny, 

Blaie, 

Blaignau, 

Blanchot, 

Blandans, 

Blanqneforti 

Blanquette de Cal 

Tisson, 
Blanquette de Li- 

mouz, 
Blaye, 
B16r6, 
Blischert, 
Bommes, 
Bondon, 
BoDvins, 
Borderie, 
Bodendorf, 




Tam et Garonne, 

France, 
Gironde, France, 
Becherbach Canton, 

France, 
Gironde, France, 
Lake of Como, Italy, 
Vienne, France, 
Valentia, Spain, 
Adriatic, Greece, 
Dordogne, France, 
Baden, Germany, 
Bavaria, do. 
StGall, Switzerland, 
Tonne, do. 

La Drome, France, 
Lauffen Wirtem- 

berg. Germany, 
Dijon, France, 
Montpellier, do. 
Elba, Italy, 
Piedmont, do. 
Transylvania, Hun- 
Elba^ Italy, 
Hanau Frankfort. 

Germany, 
Cote d'Or, France, 
Rhone, do. 
Gironde, do. 
Yonne, do. 

Jura, do. 

Gironde, do. 
Gard, do. 

Languedoc, do. 

Gironde, do. 
Indre and Loire, do. 
Lintz, Germany, 
Gironde, France, 
Rhone, do. 
Yonne, do. 
Dordogne, do. 
Near Bonn, Germa- 
ny, 



DMoiplka. 



Red. 

Claret. 

Moselle, seoondaiy. 

Claret. 

Wine of color and spirit. 

Red. 

Red. 

Red, sweet. 

Red, called ban cotes. 

Good country wine. 

Inferior wine. 

Tolerable country wine. 

White. 

Red Hermitage. 

Called wine of the Neck- 

ar, good quality. 
Burgundy. 
Red and Muscadine. 
Second-rate wine. 
Red. 
Wine of the country. 

Durable wine. . 
Resembling Rhenish. 

Burgundy. 

Red. 

Claret. 

Chablis. 

Red wine, de garde. 

Claret. 

White. 

White, sparkling. 

White. 
Tolerable wine. 

do. 
White. 
Red. 

Burgundy. 
Red and white. 
A secondary wine. 






LIST OF wnraa 



269 



Nanw. 


Cooatry. 


P<itilplluu« 


Bodenheimer, 


Mayenoe, do. 


Excellent, light, and del- 
icate. 


Borja, 


Arragon, Spain, 


A luscious wine. 


Bostandflchi-Ogln, 


Crimea, RuRflia, 


Good wine. 


Bottola, 


Placentia, Italy, 


Ordinary country wines. 


Boudry, 


Neufchatel, Svritzer- 


Equal to third-dass Bur- 




land. 


gundy. 


Bonillac, 


Gironde, France, 


Claret. 


Bourg, 


Do, do. . 


do. 


Bourgereau, 


Tonne, do. 


White Burgundy, table 
wine much esteemed 
in Paris. 


BoncBalt, 


Mame, do. 


Champagne. 


Boozy, 


Do. do. 


do. 


Booscat, 


Gironde, do. 


Claret. 


Bonssicat, 


Yonne, do. 


Burgundy. 


Branne-MontoDi 


Gironde, do. 


Claret. 


Brauenberger, 


Moselle, Treves dis- 


Wme of first quality. 


# 


trict, Germany. 




Brdde, 


Gironde, France, 


Claret. 


Br^zdine, 


Valence, do. 


White. 


Brouilly, 


Rhone, do. 


Red 


Bruch, 


Rhine, left bank, 
Germany, 


Inferior wine. 


Bruges, 


Gironde, France, 


Claret. 


Brunetidre, 


Dordogne, do. 


Red. 


BuceUas, 


Lisbon. Portugal, 


White, similar to Barsae. 


Bada, 


Ofen, Hungary, 


Similar to Burgundy. 


Bnokwetz, 


Croatia, do. 


White. 


Bargea, 


La Drdme, France, 


Red Hermitage. 


Buray, 


Meuse, do. 


Rose colored wine. 


Buti, 


Plain of Pisa, Italy, 


Light wine. 
White. 


Buzet» 


Lot et Garonne, 




France, 




Cabrides, 


Montpellier, France, 


White. 


Cadillac, 


Gironde, France, 


Claret. 


Capnea, 
Cahon, 


Var, do. 


White. 


Lot et Garonne, 


Black wine, very strong 




France, 


and durable, used for 
strengthening weak 


« 




wines. 


Calabria, 


Naples, Italy, 


Red and white, various 
qualities. 






270 



UST OF WINES. 



MSBM. 


GooDtrj. 


DMtriptko. 


CaUbrian, 


South of France, 


A must prepared, to 
which proof spirit is 
added; and is usually 
employed to give 
streneth, sweetness, 
and mirabOity, to wines 
which lack these qual- 














ities. 


Calhota, ^ 


Madeira, 


A species of Unto. 


CalmuB, 


Trieffenstein, Ger- 






many, 


A Tin de liqueur. 


Calon, 


Gironde, France, 


Claret. 


Cambes, 


Do. do. 


do 


Camblanes, 


Do. do. 


do. 


Campreal, 


Dordogne, do. 


Red.. 


Campsas, 


Garonne, do. 


Red. 


Canon, • 


Gironde, do. 


Claret. 


Cantenac, 


Do. do. 


do. 


Cape, 


Cape Good Hope, 


Red and white, inferior 




AfVica, 


wines. 


Cape Breton, 


Landes, France, 


Red, light colored. 


Cape Corsica, 


Corsica, do. 


Red and white. 


Carabons, 


Lot et Garonne, 
France, 


Red, deep color. 


Carbezon, 


Valladolid, Spain, 


Red wine of good quality. 


Carbonienx, 


Gironde, France, 


White. 


Carcasonne, 


Ande, do. 


Red, hot, and high color- 
ed. 
Sweetish wine, white. 


Carcayellofl, 


Lisbon, Portugal, 


Carigfnena, 


Arragon, Spain, 
Naples, Italy, 


Red, sweet, 


Carigliano, 


Muscadine. 


Carlon, 


Andalusia, Spain, 


White, vino de pais. 


Carlowitz, 


Danube, Sclavonia, 


Resembles Cdte R6tie. 


Carmignano, 


Florence, Italy, 


Good country wine. 


Caselle, 


Borgo Placentia. 
Italy, 


Inferior wine. 


Casola, 


Parma, Italy, 


Ordinary country wine. 


Cashmere, 


Lahore, India, 


White, resembling Ma- 
deira. 


Cassis, 


Bonches de Rhdne, 
France, 


White, sweet. 


Castelmoron, 


Lot et Garonne, 
France, 


Ordinary wine. 


Caatiglione, 


Tuscany, Italy, 


Vino santo of a golden 
color, resembling To- 
kay. 



LIST or wnnss. 



271 




Castnion, 
Castellina, 

Castelnau, 

Castres, 

Catania, 

Cauderan, 
Caudrot, 
Canmont, 
Causel, 

Gausses, 

CaunoDao, 

Cenon, 

Cephalonia, 

Cerigo, 

CeroDS, 

Chablls, 

Cbabri&res, 

Chacoli, 

Chaindtte, 

Chaintre, 

Chalais, 

Chambertin, 

ChamboUe, 

Champagne, 



Champean, 

Champ^chot, 

Champiffndy, 

Champiflon, 

Chanos-Curson, 

Chantergues, 

Chapelle de Bois, 

Chapelle Guinchay, 

Chapitre, 

Chapotte, 

Charmes et Menr- 

salt, 
Charnay, 
Chassagny, 
Chateiu Chaion, 
Chatefta Chinon, 



Gironde, France, 
Borgo Placentia, 

Italy, 
Gironde, France, 

Do. do. 
Mount Etna, Sicily, 

Gironde, France, 
Do. do. 

Vaucluse, do. 

Treves district, Ger- 
many, 

Lot et Garonne, 
France, 

Sardinia, Italy, 

Gironde, France, 

Greece, 
Do. 

Gironde, France, 

Yonne, do. 

Basses Alps, do. 

Biscay, Spain, 

Yonne, France, 

S&one et Loire, do. 

Vienne, France, 

Cote d'Or, do. 
do. do. 

Various depart- 
ments, France, 

Yonne, do. 

do. do. 

Vienne, do. 

Rheims, do. 

Valence, do. 

Pay de Dome, do. 
Sftone et Loire, do. 
do. do. 

Cote d'Or, do. 
Yonne, do. 

Cote d'Or, do. 

Sfione et Loire, do. 
Rh6ne, do. 

Jura, do. 

Vienne, do. 



Claret. 
Inferior wine. 

Claret, 
do. 

Resembling the second 
growths of the Rhone. 

Claret, 
do. 

Red. 

Moselle, noted for diu- 
retic qualities. 

Red. 

Red, and white sweet. 

Claret. 

Red, and white sweet. 

Red, resembling Claret. 

White. 

White. '^ 

Red. 

A harsh austere wine. 

White. 

Red. 

White sparkling. 

Bureundy. 

do. 
White and red, still, 
creaming, and high 
sparkling. 
Burgundy. 

do. 
White sparkling. 
Red Champagne. 
Red and white. 
Red, 
Burgundy. 

do. 

do. 

do. 

do., white. 

Burgundy. 
Red. 
White. 
Red. 



272 



LIST OF WUTES. 



Nanw. 


• 

OooBtiy. 


I)Meiip4ioik 


Chate&u GriUet, 


La Loire, France, 


White superior. 


ChateftuHaatBrion, 


Gironde, do. 


Claret. 


Chateiu Lafite, 


do. do. 


do. 


Chatefiu Lamont, 


do. do. 


White. 


Chateftu Latonr, 


do. do. 


Clai«t. 


ChateAa Mareanx, 
Chateau Neuf, 


do. do. 


do. 


VandoBe, do. 


Burgundy. 


ChateAu Thierry, 
Chavost, 


Aisne, do. 
Epernay, do. 


Cbampa^e. 
do., red, still. 


Chaudidre, 


Herault, do. 


Red and White. 


Chendre, 


Cdted'Or, do. 


Bureundy. 
do. 


Chinas, 


Sioneet Loire, do. 


Ch^snas, 


Rhdne, do. 


Red and white. 


Chevalier Mont Ra- 

chet, 
Chianti, 


Cote d'Or, do. 


Burgundy, white. 


Florence, Italy, 


Good wine. 


Chios, 


Greece, 


Sweet 


Chigiiy, 


Mame, France, 


Champagne. 


Chiayemm, 


Grisons, Switzer- 
land. 


White, aromatic. 


Chouilly, 


Mame, France, 


Champagne. 


Chuflclan, 


Gard, do. 


Tolerable wine. 


Cindad Real, 


New CasUIe, Spain, 


Red. 


Ciotat, 


Bouches de Rh6ne, 


White, sweet 




France, 




Ciasac, 


Gironde, France, 


Claret 


Civrac, 


do. do. 


do.* 


Clairac, 


Lot et Garonne, 
France, 


Ordinary wine. 


Clairion, 


Yonne, France, 


Burgundy. 


Clamecy, 


Nievre, do. 


Red. 


Claret, 


Gironde, do. 


Red. 


Claretto, 


Bor^ Placentia, 
Italy, 


inferior wine. 


Claax Cavalier, 


Vauclnse, France, 


Indifferent wine. 


Clayroyon, 


Cote d'Or, do. 


Burgundy. 


Closet, 


Epernay. do. 


Champagne. 


Clos-Bemardon, 


Cote d'Or, do. 


Burgundy. 


Clos de Givry, 


Yonne, do. 


do. 


Cloa-Pitois, 


do. do. 


do. 


Clos-Tayazmes, 


do. do. 


do. 


Clos Vouffeot, 
Clos de vezeley, 


Cote d'Or, do. 


do. 


Yonne, do. 


do. 


Colares, 


Cintra, Portugal, 


Light inferior Port 


CoUioore, 


Pyr£n6es Orientales. 


Red, dry and sweet 




France, 





LIST OF WINES. 



273 



Name. 


Cons try. 


DeMripUao. 


Colmar, 


HautRhin, France, 


Straw wine, rich and 
luscious. 


Combotte, 


C6te d'Or, do. 


Burgundy, white. 


Commandaria, 


Cyprus, Greece, 


Thick, rich, and luscious. 


Conflans, 


Nievre, France, 


Red. 


Conglioni, 


Val di Massara, 
Sicily. 


Tolerable wine. 


Constantia, 


Cape Good Hope, 


Thick, rich, red and 




Africa, 


white. 


Convelinhas, 


Douro, Portugal, 


Port. 


Coqnempin, 


Martigny, Switzer- 
land, 


Muscadine, red and white. 


Cordova, 


Andalusia, Spain, 


Red, of good quality. 


Corfu, 


Greece, 


Strong wine. 


Comas, 


Haut Garonne, 


Red, resembling Hermi- 




France, 


tage. 


Coraolas, 


Gard, France, 


Tolerable wine. 


Corregliano, 


Istria, Austria, 


Wine much esteemed at 
Venice. 


Cortaillods, 


Neufch&tel, Swits- 


Equal to third class Bur- 




erland. 


gundy. 


Corte, 


Corsica, France, 


Ordinary wine. 


Corton, 


Cote d'Or, do. 


Burgundy. 


Cosperon, 


Pyr6n6e8 Orientales. 


Red. 


• 


France, 


^ 


Costifere, 


Gard, France, 


Wine in repute at Paris. 


C6te-d-bras, 


Marno, do. 


Champagne. 


Coteaa Brule, 


Vaucluse, do. 


Red. 


Cote de Chanoines, 


Meurthe, do. 


Red and white. 


Cote Rotie, 


Rhone, do. 


Red and white. 


Cotnar, 


Moldavia, Turkey, 


Green color and strong aa 
brandy. 


Coudrieii, 


Rhone, France, 


White. 


Coulanges, 


Yonne, do. 


Burgundy. 


Coutras, 


Gironde, do. 


Red. 


Couture, 


Vienne, do. 


do. 


Crdmant, 


Marne, do. 


Champagne. 


Cretzingen, 


Baden, Germany, 


Good country wine. 


Creutzberger, 


Rhine left bank, do. 


Inferior quality. 


Creuze Noire, 


Saone et Loire, 
France, 


Burgundy. 


Crozes, 


Drome, France, 


Red, resembling Hermi- 
tage. 


Crolssy, 


Epemay, do. 


Champagne. 


Crow, 


Rhone do. 


Red and white. 


Cnbsac, 


Glrondc, do. 


Claret. 



18 



274 



LIST OF WINES. 



Name. 


Coimtiy. 


DtMriptiaB. 


ClliR, 


EpernayjFraiice, 


Champagne. 


CuUy, 


likusanDej Switzer- 
land, 
Rh6ne, France, 


Resemblmg Rhenisb. 


Cmnel, 


Red. 


Cnnac, 


do. do. 


Red. 


Cosel, 


Treves, Germany, 


Moselle. 


Ciiasac, 


Gironde, France, 


Claret. 


Cumi^res, 


Mame, do. 


Champagne. 


Damas, 


Shiiaz, Persia, 


Good red wine — ^keeps 
well for half a century. 


Dameiy, 


Epemay, France, 


Champagne. 


DannemoiDet 


Yonne, do. 


Burgundy. 


Danzenac, 


Correze, do. 


Durable wine. 


Bariste, 


Gironde, do. 


Claret. 


Deidesheimer, 


Mayence, Germany, 


An excellent wine. 


Bernan, 


Rbine left bank, do. 


Inferior wine. 


D68al6s, 


Lausanne, Switzer- 
land, 


Resembling Rhenish. 


Die de Clairette, 


Rhone, France, 


Effervescing. 


Dissay, 


Vicnne, do. 


Tolerable wine. 


Dizy, 


Mame, do. 


Champagne. 


Dulamon, 


Gironde, do. 


Claret 


Ecneil, 


Mame, France, 


Champagne. 


Elzenburger, 


Breiseg, Germany, 


Rhine wine. 


Engehohe, 


On the Nahc, do. 


Secondary wine. 


Epemay, 


Mame, France, 


Champagne. 


Epineuil, 


Yonne, do. 


Burgundy. 


Epstein, 


FrankfortjGermany, 


Middling wine. 


Erbach, 


Rhine, do. 


Hock. 


Erdo Benye, 


Tokay, Hungary, 


Tokay. 


Eriach, 


Beme, Switzerland, 


Middling wine. 


ErloD, 


Upper Hungary, 


Good red and white 
wines. 


Eflcberndorf, 


WOrtsberg, Germa- 


Similar but inferior to 




ny. 


Stein. 


EfiAone, 


Aisne, France, 


Champagne. 


Esfloyea, 


Aube, do. 


do. 


Etandes, 


Yonne. do. 


do. 


Etna, 


Sicily, 


Red and white. 


Etoile, 


Jura, France, 


White. 


Etsey, 


In the Bannat, Hun- 
gary. 


Similar to Burgundy. 



LIST OF WINKS. 



276 



Name. 


Camtrj. 


Dtmlptka. 


Eysines, 


Gironde, France, 


Claret. 


Fabas, 


Tarn et Garonne, 
France, 


Tolerable wine. 


Farcies, 


Dordoene, France, 
Gironde, do. 


Red. 


FargueSy 


Wbite. 


Farnese, 


Castri, Greece, 


Good Muscadine. 


Faro, 


Mount Etna, Sicily. 


Tolerable wine. 


Fdnerbach, 


Fribourg, Switzer- 
land, 


Excellent wine. 


Fickenwein, 


Bas Rbin, France, 


Wine tbat keeps good 
for a century. 


Figaa-do Pereira, 


Madeira, 


Tinto. 


Figueras, 


Catalonia, Spain, 


Red. 


Fixey, 


Dyon, France, 


Wbite Burgundy. 


Fixin, 


do. do. 


White. 


Fleury, 


Rhone, do. 


Grood wine, red. 


Fley, 


Tonnere, do. 


White Burgundy. 


Floirac, 


Gironde, do. 


Claret. 


Fondellol, 


Alicant, Spain, 


Vino Tinto. 


Foret, 


Hockbeim, Germa- 


Hock of good quality. 


Fran, 


Tarn et Garonne. 
France, 


Red. 


Franconia, 


Franconia, Germa- 


A vin de paille ; aromatic. 


Frangy. 


Geneva, Switzer- 
land, 


Tolerable wine. 


Frescale, 


Borgo Placentia, 
Italy, 


Inferior wine. 


Freyentham, 


Carinthia, Austria, 


Resembling good Italita 
wine. ' 


Frontenay, 


Jura, France, 


Red. 


Frontignac, 


Herault, do. 


Vin de liqueur. 


Fronaadais, 


Gironde, do. 


Claret. 


Fuencarel, 


New Castile, Spain 


A vin de liqueur. 


Fuissd, 


S&pne et Loire, 
France, 


White. 


Fame), 


Lot et Garonne, 
France, 


Black wine. 


Fundi, 


Naples, Italy, 


Ordinary wine. 


Galllac, 


Ardecbe, France, 


Red. 


Gaillau, 


Gironde, do. 


Claret 



276 



LIST OF WINES. 



Nflm«. 


Coantij. 


DeMripUon. 


Galafura, 


Douro, Portugal, 
Cote Rotie, France, 


Port. 


Gall6e, 


Red. 


Gan, 


BoAses Pyrenees, do. 


Red. 


Gannatt, 


Allier, do. 


White sparkUng. 


Garigues d* Avignon, 


Vaucluse, do. 


Red. 


Garigues Orange, 


do. do. 


Red. 


Garnaccia, 


Sardinia, Italy, 


Ordinary wine. 


Gaubischiem, 


Rhine, Glermany, 


Hock. 


Gaye Sicabaig, 


Basses Pyrenees. 


Wine distinguished for a 




France, 


peculiar flavor derived 
from the soil. 


Geissenheim, 


Rhine, Germany, 


Hock. 


Genevriferes, 


Cote d'Or, France, 


White Burgundy. 

Wine made from wild 


Georgia, 


Georgia, Asia, 






grapes. 


Gervans Rouge, 


Drome, France, 


Red. 


Gervant, 


do. do. 


Red, resembling Hermi- 
tage. 


Gevrey, 


Cote d'Or, do. 


Burgundy. 


Giberwein, 


near Vienna, Aus- 
tria, 
Reggio, Naples, 


Tolerable wine. 


Gieraoe, 


A peculiar wine. 


Girgenti, 


Val di Masara, 
Sicily, 


Tolerable wine. 


Giro, 


Sardinia. Italy, 


Red. 


Girolles, 


Yonne, France, 


Burgundy. 


Glodora, ' 


Menes, Hungary, 


Resembling Menescr. 


Glogoli, 


Tuscany. Italy, 


Good country wines. 


Glyordk, 


Menes, Hungary, 


Resembling Meneser. 


Gronowitz, 


Lower Styria, Aus- 
tria. 
Gironde, France, 


Tolerable wine. 


Gorse, 


Claret. 


Gorvaens, 


Douro, Portugal, 


Port. 


Goutte d'Or, 


Cote d'Or, do. 


White Burgundy. 


Graacil, 


Troves district, Ger- 


Wine of first quality. 


Gradignan, 


uitujy, 
Gironde, France, 


Claret. 


Graefenbcrger, 


Rhincgau, Germany, 


Choice wine of fine fla- 


Grauve, 


Epcrnay, France, 


vor. 
Champagne. 


Graves, 


Gironde, do. 


Red and white wines 
grown upon gravelly 
soil ; the red are desig- 
nated Claret, the white 
include those bearing 
the appellation of Sau- 



LIST OF WINES. 



277 



Ni 




GrayiSrea, 

Grayilliers, 

Grayoso, 

Gr^fieux, 

Grenache, 

Grenet, 
Grenouille, 
Grimard, 
Grises, 



GroB Warden, 

Graenhauser, 

Gninau, 

Guben, 
Guebwillere, 
Guials, 
Gaindre, 

Guinchay, 

Gnionigre, 

Guitres, 

GysBDg^ysesch, 

Gyorgy, 



Hannibal's Camp, 

Haut Medoc, 
Hantvilliers, 
Hcidelberger, 
Hermitage, 
Hermitage de Paille, 

Hock, 



Coted'Or, France, 
Aube, do. 

Ragnsa, Austria, 
La Drome, France, 
Pyrenees Orientales, 

France, 
Gironde, France, 
Yonne, do. 

LotetGraronne, do. 
Yonne, do. 



Transylyania, Ans- 
tria, 

Treves district, Ger- 
many, 

Presburg, Hungary, 

Dresden. Saxony, 
Haut Rhin, France, 
Douro, Portugal, 
Malaga, Spain, 

Sftone et Loire, 
France, 

La Dr6me, France, 

Gironde, do. 

Mount Matra, Hun- 
gary, 

Presburg, Hungary, 



Gard, France, 

Gironde, do. 
Mame, do. 
Baden, Germany, 
Rhone, France, 
do. do. 

Rhine, Germany, 



DMeriptioo. 



teme, Langon, Prei- 
gnac, Barsac, Pontac, 
Bommes, &c. 

Burgundy. 

Champagne. 

Good country wine. 

Red. 

Red. 

Claret. 

White Burgundy. 

Red. 

White Burgundy, a table 
wine much esteemed 
at Paris. 

Good red wine of the 
country. 

Formerly styled the 
••Nectar of Moselle." 

Excellent wine resem- 
bling Burgundy. 

Red and white. 

White. 

Port. 

Dark-colored wine, fla- 
vored with cherries. 

Burgundy. 

Hermitage. 

Claret. 

Red and white, much 

esteemed. 
Tokay. 



Agreeable light wine, 

crimson color. 
Claret, 
Champagne. 

Good wine of the countiy. 
Red and white. 
Straw wine, rich and 

luscious. 
General designation of 

the Rhine wines. 



278 



LIST OP WINES. 



Nanw. 


Coonby. 


DeMriptioB. 


Hockheimer, 


Spire on the riyer 


The first growth is the 




Mayn, Grermany, 


prime Hock wine. 


Hoeflin, 


Aostria, 


or a green hue, and drank 
young. 


Hormidas, 


Douro, Portugal, 


Port. 


Ho(Sniiingen« 


Rhine left bank/Ger- 
many. 


Inferior wine. 


Hospital, 


ArragoD, Spain, 


An excellent red wine, 
from the Garnacho 
grape. 


Hnhn, 


Neidar, Heimbach, 
Germany, 


Rhine wine. 


Haeflca, 


Xerez, Spain, 


Sherry of a yellowish 
color. 


Isles, 


Yonne, France, 


Burgundy. 


niats. 


Gironde, do. 


Claret. 


Lnola, 


Bologne, Italy, 


Vin cuit and mousseox. 


Irency, 


Yonne, France, 


Burgundy. 


boo, 


Gironde, do. 


Cet. 


Ispahan, 


Persia, 


White. 


Ixeszgard, 


In the Tolna district, 
Hungary, 


A superior red wine. 


Jau, 


Gironde, France, 


Claret. 


Jaulnay, 


Vienne, do. 


Red. 


Jenorodi 


Zante, Ionian Is- 
lands, 


Resembling Tokay. 


Jobagy, 


In the Bannat, Hun- 


Resembling Burgundy and 


t 


gaify. 


Bordeaux. 


Johannisberger 


Rhine, Germany, 


A dry delicate wine, of 


Schloas, 




the highest class. 


Joigny, 


Yonne, France, 


Burgundy. 


Joo^, 


Indre, do. 


Red. 


Jodas, 


Yonne, do. 


Burgundy. 


JiiUi^nas, 


Rh6ne, do. 


Red. 


Jarancon, 


Basses Pyr^n^es, do. 


Red. 


Kafia, 


Crimea, Russia, 


Vin mouaseux. 


Kaiserberg, 


Haut Rhin, France, 


Straw wine, rich and 
luscioQs. 



LIST OP WINB3. 



279 



Nanw. 



Kaplenberg, 

Katchdorfy 

Kerchenberg, 

KesBeliDg, 

Kesroan, 

KeiDtzheim, 

Kiesanos, 
Klebner, 
Kieingenberger, 
Kloeter, 

KcBSterich, 

Konigabach, 

Koarad, 



L'Aine Mont Ra- 

chet, 
Labarde, 
Labusca, 
Lacombe Global, 

La C6te, 

Lachryma Christ!, 

Lagrimaa, 
La Harpe, 

Lahore, 

Lamarqae, 
Lamego, 
Lamporecchio, 
La Marque, 

Lampaacus, 




Austria, 
Presburg, Hungary, 

Irf>wer Styria, Aus- 

tria. 
Rhine left bank, 

GermaDy, 
Mount Libanus, 

Syria, 
Haut Rhin, France, 

Candia, Greece, 
Hant Rhin, France, 
Baden, Germany, 
Austria, 

Mayence, Germany, 
Hockheim, do. 
Boda, Hungary, 



C6te d'Or, France, 

Gironde, do. 

Mantua, Italy, 

Pyrdndes Orientates, 
France, 

Lausanne, Swit^r- 
land, 

Naples, Mount Ve- 
suvius, 

Malaga, Spain, 

Wurisberg, Germa- 
ny, 

Beyond the Sutledge, 

India, 

Gironde, France, 

Coimbra, Portugal, 

Tuscany, Italy, 

Martigny, Switzer- 
land, 

Marmora, Greece, 



DMcriptiiOB. 



Of a green hue, and drank 

young. 
Resembling Burgundy and 

Bordeaux. 
Tolerable wine. 

Inferior wine. 



Boiled wine. 



rich and 



Straw wine, 

luscious. 
Red, resembling Claret. 
Muscadine. 

Good wine of the country. 
Of a green hue, and drank 

young. 
A highly prized wine. 
Hock of good quality. 
Resembling Burgundy and 

Bordeaux. 



White Burgundy. 

Claret. 

An agreeable wine. 

Yin de Liqueur. 

Dry wine. 

White and red. 

Thick and luscious. 
Inferior wine resembling 

Stein. 
Wine of good quality. 

Claret. 

Resembling inferior Claret. 
Good wine of the country. 
Red and white Muscadine . 

Ancient wine. 



280 



LIST OF WINKS. 



Nam*. 


Cou&tiy. 


DMCriptiOD. 


Landiras, 


Gironde, France, 


Claret. 


Landes, 


La Dr6nie, do. 
Gironde, do. 


Red Hermitage. 


LaDdiras, 


White. 


Langon, 


do. do. 


do. 


Lapian, 


do. do. 


Ciaret. 


La Perri^re, 


C6te d'Or, do. 


White Burgundy. 


Larose, 


Gironde, do. 


Claret. 


Lassoraaco, 


Borgo Placentia, 
Italy, 


Inferior wine. 


Lasfleraz, 


Piedmont, Italy, 


Eiferyescing wine, from 
the Malvasia grape. 


La Tachc, 


C6te d'Or, France, 


Burgundy. 


La Torre, 


Valencia, Spain, 


Red. 


Lanbenheimer, 


Mayence, Germany, 


Lighter than Johannisber- 
ger, fine bouquet. 


LaadaD, 


Gard, France, 


Crimson color. 


Laufen, 


Badenweiler, Ger- 
many, 


Excellent wine of Baden. 


Layon, 


Maine and Loire, 
France, 


Good wine. 


Leattico, 


Candia, Greece, 


Red Muscadine. 


Ledenon, 


Gard, France, 


Red. 


Leinenbom, 


On the Nahe, Ger- 
man^, 


A secondary wine. 


Leitschach, 


Lower Styria, Aus- 
tria, 
Pyr^n^es Orieotales, 


Good country wine. 


Lejas, 


White sweet. 




France, 




L^ognan, 


Gironde, France, 


Claret. 


L^oville, 


do. do. 


do. 


Lesparre, 


do. do. 


do. 


Leatrac, 


do. do. 


do. 


Leuvrigny, 


Epemay, do. 


Champagne. 


Libos, 


Lot et Garonne, do. 


Black wine. 


Lichenstein, 


Austria, 


Of a green hue, and drank 
young. 


Liebfrauen-milch, 


Worms, Grermany, 


A good wine, with fine 
flavor and body. 


Liesten, 


Wurtsbcrg, do. 


Excellent wine, Rhenish 
character. 


Limonz, 


Tarn et Garonne, 
France, 


White Sparkling. 


Lindan, 


Bavaria, 


Inferior wine. 


Lipari, 


Lipari Isles, 


Superior Muscadine. 



LIST OF WINES. 



281 



Kunc. 


Country. 


Oeseriplioo. 


Liplow, 


Bannat of Tamea- 


Good red wine. 




war, Hungary, 


• 


Lisbon, 


Lisbon, Portugal, 


Red and ^ite. 


Loch^, 


Saone et Loire, 
France, 


Burgundy. 


Lossery, 


Vienne, France, 


do. 


Louneuil, 


Dordogiie, do. 


White. 


Loapiac, 


Glronde, do. 


White. 


Lades, 


Marne, do. 


Champagne. 


Ludon, 


Gironde, do. 


Claret. 


Lunel, 


Herault, do. 


While sweet. 


LuBsac, 


Gironde, do. 


Claret. 


Lnttenberg, 


Lower Siyria, Aus- 


Good wines, red and 




tria, 


white. 


Lutz, 


Treias, Germany, 


Secondary wine. 


Lozuria, 


Cephalonia, Greece, 


White sweet. 


Maas, 


Niedar, Heimbach, 
Germany, 


Rhine wiae. 


Macobeo of Salces, 


Pyr^n6es Orientales, 
France, 


While sweet. 


Macau, 


Gironde, France, 


Claret. 


Macedonia, 


Turkey, Turkey in 
Europe, 


Red and white. 


Macon, 


S&one et Loire, 
France, 


Red. 


Mada, 


County of Zemplin, 
Hungary, 


Tokay wine. 


Madeira, 


Island of Madeira, 


White, dry, and durable. 


Madiran, 


Haut Pyr^n^es, 
France, 


Red. 


Magdeleine. 


Tarn et Garonne, 
France, 


do. 


Mailly, 


Marne, France, 


Champagne. 


Malaga, 


Malaga, Spain, 


Sweet wine with a burnt 
taste. 


Malaga Xerez, 


do. do. 


White wine, resembling 
Sherry. 


Malgoe, 


Var, France, 


White. 


Malijay. 


Basses Alps, do. 


Red. 


Malmsey, 


Various countries, 


Rich, sweet, luscious. 


Malvagia, 


Italy. 


do. do. do. 


Mancy, 


Epernay, France, 


Champagne. 



282 



LIST OF WINE3. 



Xame. 


Coontiy. 


1 

DcMriptioB. 


Mantes, 


Seine and Oise, 


Wine formerly in high re- 




France, 


pute. 


Manzanares, « 


Manzanarcs, Spain, 


Red, an inferior Val de 




• 


Penas. 


Manzanilla, 


Audalasia, do. 


White, vino de pais. 


Maranges, 


S&one et Loire, 
France, 


Burgundy. 


Marachina, 


Sebenico, Dalmatia, 


Wine of high character, 
not the liqueur. 


Marcobrunner, 


Rhine, Germany, 


Good wine. 


Marcs d'Or, 


C6te d'Or, France, 


Burgundy. 


Mardeail, 


Epemay, do. 


Red Champagne. 


Mareuil, 


Marue, do. 


Champagne. 


Margauz, 


Gironde, do. 


Claret. 


Marqae, 


Valais, Switzerland, 


Red. 


Marsala, 


Marsala, Sicily, 


White and red. 


Marsallet, 


Dordogne, France, 


White. 


Marsanny, 


Cdie d'Or, do. 


Burgundy. 


Martillac, 


Gironde, do. 


Claret, 


Marzamin, 


Carinthia, Austria, 


Resembling good Italian 
wine. 


Maacoli, 


Mount Etna, Sicily, 


Resembling the secondary 
Rhone growths. 


Masdea, 


Fyr^nSes Orientales, 
France, 


Red. 


MasdesCdtesPlaines, 


Is^re, France, 


Tolerable wine. 


Mas de la Garigne, 


Pyr^n6es Orientales, 
France, 


White sweet. 


Maslas, 


Tokay, Hungary, 


Tokay. 


Mataro, 


Catalonia, Spain, 


Red. 


Mayschof, 


Rhine, left bank, 
Germany, 


Inferior wine. 


Mazara, 


Sicily, 


Tolerable wine. 


Mazy, 


C6ted*0r, France, 


Burgundy. 


M6al, 


La Dr6me, do. 


Hermitage. 


Meconi, 


Greece, 


Bad wine, being usually 
mixed with water. 


Mercarol, 


Drdme, France, 


Red and white. 


Medina del Campo, 


Leon, Spain, 


Excellent wine. 


M^doc, 


Gironde, France, 


Red and white, the chief 
wine district of the Gi* 
ronde. 


Meissen, 


Saxony, 


Poor wine. 


Mejames, 


Gard, France, 


Ordinary wine. 



LIST OF WINES. 



288 



Ncau. 


Country. 


DeMriptloD. 

« 


MelmiCp 


Bunzlow, Bohemia, 


Similar to Burgundy, not 
durable. 


Menes, 


Arad, Hangary, 


Ausbruch Tokay. 


M^neaer, 


do. do. 


Red, much esteemed for 
spirit and sweetness. 


M^DeBer-Aosbnich, 


do. do. 


Like Tokay, rich, aro- 
matic, sweet, not cloy- 
ing. 


M^nelrUp 


Jura, France, 


Red wine. 


M^nil, 


Marne, do. 


Champagne. 


Menos, 


Menea, Hungary, 


Similar to Meneser. 


Mentali, 


Tuscany, 


Good country wine. 


Mereaberg, 


Lake Constance, 
Switzerland, 


do. do. 


Merignac, 


Gironde, France, 


Claret. 


Measina, 


Sicily, 


Tolerable quality. 


Meursalt, 


C6tc d'Or, France, 


White Burgundy. 


Mezez-Mal6, 


Tokay, Hungary, 


Choice Tokay. 


Migraine, 


Yonne, France, 


Burgundy. 


Milazzo, 


Sicily, 


Tolerable quality. 


Mirando de Ebro, 


Old Castile, Spain, 


Good red wine. 


Miadorf. 


Austria, 


Wine of a green hue and 
drank young. 


Modeon, 


Freaburg;, Hungary, 


Excellent wine, resembling 
Burgundy. 


Moguer, 


Niebla, Andalusia, 
Spain, 


Sherry of an inferior grade. 


Moiraz, 


Lot et Garonne, 
France, 


Tolerable wine. 


Molina, 


Marne, France, 


Champagne. 


Moloaroe, 


Yonne, do. 


Burgundy. 


Monaca, 


Sardinia, 


Ordinary wine. 


Mondferand* 


Gironde, France, 


Claret. 


Montfaute, 


Yonne, do. 


Burgundy. 


Montferratt, 


Marengo, Italy, 


Red and white. 


Monnetier, 


Geneva, Switzerland, 


Tolerable wine. 


Moncaon, 


Eatraroadura, Por- 


Resembling medium Bor- 




tugal, 


deaux. 


Molaheim, 


Bas Rhin, France, 


White. 


Moettling, 


Carinthia, Austria, 


Resembling good Italian 
wine. 


Montalcino, 


Tuscany, Italy, 


Good muscadine. 


MoDtanban, 


Tarn et Garonne, 
France, 


Red and white. 



284 



LIST OF WHTES. 



* Namei of Winei. 


Conntry. 


Desetiptlon. 


Montbartier, 


Tarn et Garonne, 
France, 


Red and white. 


Mont-Bassilac, 


Dordogne, do. 


do. do. 


Montagne Vcri, 


Treves district, Ger- 
many, 


Secondary quality. 


Monibazin, 


Montpellier, France, 


Muscadine. 


Monte di Brianza, 


Milan, 


Good flavored wine. 


Monte Fiascone, 


Lake Bolsena, Italy, 


A strong high flavored 
muscadine. 


Monte Serrato, 


E^lba, do. 


Muscadine. 


Monte Falcino, 


Tuscany, Italy, 


The most esteemed of the 
Tuscan muscadines. 


Monte Spertoli, 


do. 


Good wine of the country. 


Monthelon, 


Epernay, France, 


Champagne. 


Month^ch^rin, 


Yonne, do. 


Burgundy. 


Montigny, 


Jura, do. 


White. 


Montmelein» 


Mt. Termino, Savoy, 


Red. 


Mont-Rachet, 


C6le d'Or, France. 


White Burgundy. 


Montjuset, 


Paye de Dome, do. 


Red. 


Montilla, 


Cordova, Spain, 


Dry white wine of good 


• 




bouquet and flavor. 


Mont Saugeon, 


Haut Marne, France, 


Champagne. 


Mont de Mileu, 


Yonne, do. 


Chablis, table wine much 
esteemed in Paris. 


Montzingen, 


Neor Bacbarach, 
Germany, 


Rhine wine. 


Morea, 


Greece, 


Malmsey. 


Morey, 


C6te d'Or, France, 


Burgundy. 


Morgeot, 


do. do. 


do. 


Moselle, 


Moselle, Germany, 


White. 


Moulin It Vent, 


Sft.one et Loire, 
France, 


Burgundy. 


Moalins, 


Allier, France, 


White, very strong. 


Moulis, 


Gironde, do. 


Claret. 


Mountain, 


Malaga, Spain, 


Sweet. 


Mount Calenberg, 


Austria, 


Ordinary wine. 


Moscatello, 


Orvieto, Roman 


Vin de liqueur, not dura- 




States, 


ble. 


Moussy, 


Epernny, France, 


Champagne. 


Moustille, 


Haut Rhin, do. 


White. 


Mozambol, 


Jura, do. 


Red. 


Murviedo, 


Valencia, Spain, 


Red. 


Muscatel or Muaca- 


Various Countries, 


Sweet wine with grape or 


dinc, 




raisin flavor. 



LIST OP WINES. 



285 



Nmdo. 




Muscat (e, 
Musigny, 
Muray, 



Nackenheimer, 

Napoli di Malvasia, 

Naples Muscadine, 

Narbonne, 

Narden, 
Nasco, 

NaumbUg, 

Neac, 
Nebiolo, 

Neckar, 
Negro Rancio, 

Neiderborg, 

Nerte, 
NeufchAtel, 

Neuville, 

Ncuvy, 

2sewboarg, 

Nicario, 

Neuwied Blischert, 

Niersteiner, 

Novella, 

Nues, 



San Marnio, Italy, 
C6te d'Or, France, 
Aube, do. 



Mayence, Germany, 
Morea, Greece, 

Lake Averno, Mount 
Vesuvius, 

Aude, France, 

Wiesbaden, Germa- 
ny. 

Sardinia, 

Saxony, 

Gironde, France, 
Asti, Piedmont, 

Suabia, Germany, 
Rota, Spain, 

On the Nahe, Ger- 
many, 
Vaucluse, France, 

Switzerland, 

Aube, France, 
Yonne, do. 

Austria, 

Greece, 



Hesse Darmstadt, 

Germany, 
Mayence, Germany, 

Vesuvius, Naples, 

Nievre, France, 



DcMripUon. 



A delicate muscadine. 

Burgundy. 

Champagne. 



An ezellcent wine, light 

and delicate. 
The original Malvasia, or 

Malmsey. 
A delicate fine colored 

wine. 
Hot, high colored inferior 

wine. 
Tolerable wine. 
Good wine of an amber 

color. 
Similar to fourth class 

Burgundy. 
Claret. 
Red, with perfume of the 

raspberry. 
Moselle. 
A sweet wine of a yellow 

color. 
A secondary wine. 

Good wine. 

Similar to inferior Bur- 
gundy. 

Champagne. 

Burgundy. 

Green hue and drank 
young. 

White wine, remarkable 
fur its diuretic proper- 
ties. 

A good wine. 

Lighter than Johannis- 
berg, but delicate. 

An inferior Lacryma 
Christi. 

White wine. 



286 



LIST OF WINES. 



NaoM. 


Coontiy. 


DeferiptioD. 


Naestoed, 


Buda, Hungary, 


Similar to Burgundy and 
Bordeaux, 


Nuits, 


Cote d'Or, France, 


Burgundy. 

• 


Obernnsdorf, 


Presburg, Hnngary, 


Similar to Burgimdy. 


CEdenbourg, 


Lr. Hungary, 


Red and white, much es- 
teemed. 


Oeatricher, 


Mayence, Germany, 


Lighter than Johannis- 
berg, but delicate. 


(Euilly, 


Epemay, France, 


Champagne. 


Ofen. 


Pesth, Hungary, 


Good wine of the country. 


Oger, 


Mame, France, 


Champagne. 


Olivotes, 


Yonne, do. 


Burgundy. 


Olwiller, 


Haut Rhin, do. 


Straw wine, rich and lus- 
cious. 


Omados, 


Cyprus, Greece, 


Inferior wine. 


Oppenheimcr, 


Mayence, Germany, 


An excellent wine. 


Oporto, 


Douro, Portugal, 


Port wine. 


Orson, 


Gard, France, * 


Secondary wine. 


OraisoD, 


Basses Alps, do. 


Good durable wine. 


Orvieto, 


Roman States, Italy, 


Dry and muscadine wines. 


• 




good. 


Ovieto, 


do. do. 


Weak muscadine. 


Ovieto, 


do. do. 


Excellent durable red 
wine. 


Palania, 


In Sirmien, 


Wine prepared with spices 


^ 




and wormwood. 


Palma, 


Majorca, Spain, 


Good full-bodied wine. 


Palma, 


Canary Islands, 


Rich Malmsey, having a 
taste of the pine apple. 


Pallentia, 


Majorca, Spain, 


Vin de liqueur. 


Pallottc, 


Yonne, France, 


Burgundy. 


Palus, 


Gironde, do. 


Claret. 


Paropeluna, 


Navnrre, Spain, 


A liqueur wine. 


Paniasac, 


Pyr6n6e8 Orientales, 
France, 


White, dry, and sweet. 


Pannochia, 


Parma, 


Ordinary country wine. 


Pnrdigues, 


Tarn et Garonne, 


Tolerable red wines. 




France, 


. 


Paron, 


Yonne, France, 


Burgundy. 


Paalis, 


Menes, Hungary, 


Similar to Meneaer. 



LIST OP WINES. 



287 



Num. 


Conntiy. 


DeteripUon. 


PazarettB, 


Xerez, Spain, 


Sweet wine of amber color 
and sherry flavor. 


Pazolo, 


Borgo Placentia, Italy 


Inferior wine. 


Pedro Ximenez, 


Malaga, Italy, 


Luscious sweet wine, fine 
and delicate. 


Peittersberg, 


Lr. Styria, Austria, 


Good country wine. 


Perales, 


Valencia, Spain, 


Red. 


Peralta, 


Navarre, do. 


White sweet dessert wiue. 


Pericard, 


Lot et Garonne, 
France, 


Black wine. 


Pcrriftre C6te d'Or, 


C6te d'Or, France, 


White Burgundy. 


Perridre Clos de la, 


do. do. 


Burgundy. 


Pessac, 


Gironde, France, 


Claret. 


Petit Tokai, 


Pirano, Austria, 


Good vin de liqueur. 


Peyre-blancbe, 


Vaucluse, France, 


Tolerable light wines. 


Pezo da Regoa, 


Douro, Portugal, 


Port. 


Picolj, 


1 stria, Austria, 


Good wine. 


Phillipsech, 


Frankfort, Germany, 


Middling wine. 


Piatra, 


Walachia, Turkey in 
Europe, 


Light, rivalling Tokay. 


Pichon-Longueville, 


Gironde, France, 


Claret. 


Pied de Rat, 


Yonne, do. 


Burgundy. 


Pierre Cloe, 


S&oneet Loire, do. 


do. 


Piquette, 


France, 


Small wine made from the 
refuse of the vintage. 


Pitoy, 


Yonne, db. 


Burgundy. 


Pickerne, 


Lr. Siyria, Austria, 


Good wine of the country. 


Piesport, 


Treves district, Ger- 
many, 


Moselle of first quality. 


Pierry, 


Marne, France, 


Champagne. 


Pommerol, 


Gironde, do. 


Claret. 


Poches, 


Yonne, do. 


Burgundy. 


Podensac, 


Gironde, do. 


While. 


Podekalski, 


Leutmeritz,Bohemia, 


Red wines, not durable. 


Ppleschowitz, 


Moravia, 


Good wine, resembling 
Hungarian. 


Pollentia, 


Minorca, Spain, 


Muscadine. 


Poiigny, 


Jura, France, 


Yellow wine. 


Pomard, 


C6te d'Or, do. 


Burgundy. 


Poncina, 


Tuscany, Italy, 


Good country wine. 


Poncino, 


Florence, do. 


Good red wine. 


PoDtac, 


Gironde, France, 


White, fine table wine. 


PoDtac, 


Cape of Good Hope, 
Africa, 


Red, inferior. 



283 



LIST OF WINES. 



Nmme. 


Coon try 


Dcwrlptioa. 


Ponte d'AlloIio, 


Placentia, Italy, 


Ordinary country wine. 


Pont-Ecole, 


Tuscany, do. 


Good muscadine. 


Potensac, 


Gironde, France, 


Claret. 


Porte St. Marie, 


Lot et Garonde.do. 


White, sweet. 


Portels, 


Gironde, France, 


Claret. 


Port Vendrea, 


Pyr^ndes Orientales, 
France, 


Red. 


Posega, 


Sclavonia, 


Red and white, strong. 


Poalliac, 


Gironde, France, 


Claret. 


PoDilly, 


S&one et Loire, do. 


White. 


Poujola, 


ilerault, do. 


Red. 


Pr^aux, 


Yonne, do. 


Burgundy. 


TT6e. 


Nicvre, France, 


White. 


Preignac, 


Gironde, do. 


White, good table wine. 


Premaux, 


C6ie d'Or, do. 


Burgundy. 


Pre pa lour. 


Loire and Cher, do. 


White. 


Priory, 


Catalonia, Spain, 


Malmsey. 


Procanico, 


BIba, 


Vin mousseux. 


Prossecco, 


Isiria, Austria, 


Wines of good flavor. 


Pujols, 


Gironde, France. 


While. 


Pulsgau, 


Lower Siyria, Aus- 
tria, 


Good country wine. 


Pupillin, 


Jura, France, 


White. 


Puisseguin, 


Gironde, do. 


Claret. 


Queryac, 


Gironde, France, 


Claret. 


Qu^^rycs, 


do. do. 


do. 


Quetard, 


Yonne, do. 


Burgundy. 


Quinsac, 


Gironde, do. 


Claret 


Quintigny, 


Jura, do. 


White sparkling. 


Racoule, 


La Did me, France, 


Hermitage. 


Radkersbourg, 


Lower Siyria, Aus- 
tria, 


Good w^ine, red and white. 


Raen, 


Lower Siyria, Aus- 
tria, 
Haut Rhin, France, 


Good wine of the country. 


Rangen, 


White. 


Rasdorf, 


Astracan, Russia, 


Good wine. 


Rast, 


Lower Siyria, Aus- 
tria, 
iModena, Italy, 


Good wine of the country. 


Rotrera, 


Ordinary country wine. 


Raiilii*, 


Dordogne, France, 


White. 



LIST OF WJDTES. 



289 



Nuv. 


CooDtry. 




Ranzan, 


Gironde, France, 


Claret. 


Kech, 


Rhine left iNink, 
Germany, Italy, 


Inferior wine. 


Reggio, 


Naples, 


Resembling Bnrgandy. 


Reggio, 


do. 


Vin de liqoeur. 


Reichenberg, 


Erbach, Germany, 


Inferior Rhine wine. 


Rensberger, 


Tarback, do. 


Secondary wine. 


Rethymo, 


Candia, Greece, 


Good white win». 


Revantin, 


Isere, France, 


Red. 


Ribidavia, 


Gallacia, Spain, 


Ordinary red wine. 


Riceys, 


Aube, France, 


White and pink Cham- 






pagne. 


Richeboarg. 


C6te d'Or, do. 


Burgundy. 


Ricbenaa Island, 


Lake of Consunce, 


Good wine of the coun- 




Germany, 


try. 


Rici8» 


Roman States, Italy, 


Good wine. 


Riesling, 


Strasburg, France, 


Wine t|iat will keep good 
for a century. 


Riez, 


Basses Alps, do. 


Red. 


Riily, 


Rheims, do. 


Champagne. 


Rimeneze, 


Tuscany, Italy, 


Good Muscadine. 


Rinsport* 


Moselle, Germany, 


Second-rate wine. 


RiTesaltes, 


Pyr^n^es Orientales, 
France, 


Rich Muscadine. 


Rk), 


Tuscany, Italy, 


Good Muscadine. 


Rioza, 


Leon, Spain, 


Good wine 


Rocal, 


Lot and Garonne, 
France, 


Fine durable wine. 


Rodez, 


Fyr6n6rs Orlentales, 
France, 


Red sweet. 


Roche, 


Nievrc, France, 


Red. 


Roche-rouge, 


Rhone, do. 


Red. 


Rochegude-Tinto, 


Rhone, do. 


Superior red. 


Roffey, 


Yonne, do. 


Burgundy. 


Rogom^s, 


Lot and Garonne, do. 


Black wine mixed with 
proof spirit, used to 
strengthen and color 






weak wines. 


Roman^che, 


Saone et Loire, do. 


Red. 


Romance Conti, 


C6te d'Or, do. 


Burgundy. 


Romance St. VivaDt, 


do. do. 


do. 


Roqueinaure, 


Bouches de Rhone, 
France, 


White sweet. 



19 



290 



LIST OF WINBS. 



NasM. 


ComUj. 


DMcriptfok 


Roeonhfch, 


On the Nahe, Ger- 
many, 


Secondary wine. 


Rosoir, 


Yonne, France, 


Burgundy. 


Rota, 


Andalnaia, Spain, 


Red, rich, aweei, and 
somewhat tart. 


Roth, 


Near Hockheim, 


Hock of good quality. 




Germany, 




Rothenberger, 


Geisenheim, Genna- 

nvr 


Soft, delicate, prime wine. 


Roogeot de Meur- 


C6te d'Or, France, 


Burgundy. 


salt. 






RoDsiUon, 


Pyr6n^e8 Orientalea, 
France, 


Red, potent, and durable. 


Ronvres, 


Yonne, France. 


Burgundy. 


Rozan, 


Gironde, do. 


Claret. 


Radesheimerf 


Rhinegau, Germany, 


Good wine. 


Rugarl«, 


Borgo Placentia, 
Italy, 


Inferior wine. 


Rostb, 


Lower Mongary, 


Similar to (Edenbourgb. 


Rntz, 


Moeelle, Germany, 


Secondary wine. 


Sack, 


Canary, Xerez, Mal- 
aga* 


Dry and sweet. 


Sailant, 


Correze, France, 


Wine of great durability. 


SalneDdorf, 


Austria, 


Of a green hue and drank 
young. 


Salo del Christo 


Borgo Placentia, 


Good wine of the country. 


Crela, 


Italy, 




Saloroay, 


SiLone et Loire, 
France, 


Burgundy. 


Salaes, 


Pyr6n6e8 Orientalea, 
France, 


Red. 


Salso Maggiore, 


Borgo Placentia, 
Italy, 


Inferior wine. 


Samoa, 


Greece, 


Muscadine. 


Sance, 


Dordogne, France, 


White. 


Sangeot, 


S4one et Loire, do. 


Burgundy. 


Sang de SuiBsea, 


Basle, Switzerland, 


Red, good, called also. 
Hospital and Cemetery 
of St. James. 


San Giovanni, 


Mount Etna, Sicily, 


Red, resembling the 
Rhone growths. 


Sanlayes, 


Nievre, France, 


Red. 



LIST OF WINES. 



291 



r^ 


Oootttey. 


»-^ 


Sanritch, 


Lower Styria, Aoa- 

tria, 
Lower Styria, do. 


Good country wine. 


Sanaal, 


do. do. do. 


Santenayp 


C6te d'Or Prance, 


Burgundy. 


Santo Antonio, 


Madeira, 


Madeira. 


Santo Domingo, 


Valencia, Spain, 


Red. 


Santorini, 


Archipelago, Greece, 


Vino Santo. 


Santo Pretano, 


Borgo Plaeentia, 
Italy, 


Inferior wine. 


Santarem, 


Lisbon, Portugal, 


Ordinary wine. 


Santo Stefanoy 


Sienna, Tuscany, 


Vin de liqueur. 


Sapolo, 


Modena, Italy, 


Good wine of the country* 


Sarepta, 


Russia, 


do. do. do. 


Saumnr, 


Anjov, France, 


Monsseuz and still. 


Saoterae, 


Gironde, do. 


White. 


Saverne, 


Strasborg, do. 


Indifferent weak wine« 


Sarigny, 


C6te d'Or, do. 


Burgundy. 


SavignyaoQs Beaiine, 


do. do. 


do. 


Scharlachberg, 


Rhine, Germany, 


Hock. 


SchafTbansen, 


do. do. 


do. 


Scharzberger, 


Treves, do. 


Moselle of first quality. 


Schalhsberg, 


Wflrtsberg, do. 


Inferior wine. 


Schamet, 


Rhine, do. 


Hock. 


Scharlach, 


Mount Scharlach- 
berg, Germany, 


Fine flavored, rich aroma. 


SchelMtadt, 


Has Rhin, France, 


Durable wine, will keep 






good fifty years. 


Schierstein, 


Weisbaden, Ger- 
many, 


Tolerable wine. 


Schiller, 


fn Sirmien, 


Red, strong, and sweet. 


Solo, 


Greece, 


Wine anciently in repute. 


Scbweinfort, 


Bavaria, Germany, 


Inferior wine. 


Sciarra, 


Mount Etna, Sicily, 


Red, resembling the 




^ 


Rhone growths. 


Semlin, 


Sclavonia, Austria, 


Good red wine. 


S«gorbe> 


Valencia, Spain, 


Red. 


Shen7> 


Xerez de ia Frontera, 


The best white wine of 




Spain, 


Spain. 


Sliiraz, 


Persia, 


Red and vrhite, different 
qualities. 


Sillery, 


Mame, France, 


Still Champagne. 


Serignan> 


Vauoluse, do. 


Good light wine. 


Sdrra, 


Corsica, do. 


Tolerable wine. 


Serres, 


Herault, do, 


do. do. 



292 



LIST OF WINES. 



Kmm, 


Comtrjr. 


DMoipUoo. 


Serclal, 


Madeira, 


An excellent dry wine, 
natty and flavory. 


Serigny, 


Yonne, France, 


White Borgundy. 


SetuTal, 


Eatremadora, Portn- 
gal, 


Dry and aweet. 


Sezard, 


Buda, Hungary, 


Red wine of the country, 
resembling Languedoc. 


Seysseul, 


Isere, France, 


Red. 


Sitgef, 


Catalonia, Spain, 


Sweet. 


Soetyeich, 


In the Bannat, Hun- 


Like Burgundy and Bor- 




gary. 


deaux. 


Solom^, 


Vienne, France, 


Tolerable wine. 


Solutre, 


SiLone et Loire, do. 


Burgundy. 


Sorgnes, 


Vauclnae, do. 


Red. 


SoiUBati, 


Gironde, do. 


Claret. . 


SoiiBtons, 


Landes, do. 


Red. 


Spitz. 


Vienna, Anatria, 


Good wine. 


Stadlberg, 


Lower Styria, do. 


Good wine of the country. 


Steeg, 


BDchanicb,Gerniany, 


Light Rhine wine. 


Stein, 


Wartaberg, do. 


Excellent wine, Rhenish 
character. 


8teinberger« 


Rhinegan, do. 


Fine wine. 


StelliDgen, 


Baden, do. 


Good country wine. 


Strang, 


Neider Breiaig, do. 


Secondary Rhine wine. 


Stroroboli, 


Lipari lales. 


Ordinary wine. 


Stugerboeg, 


Rhine, Germany, 


Secondary Rhine wine. 


Soma, 


Dordogne, France, 


White. 


St. Agnan« 


Gironde, do. 


Claret. 


St. Albero, 


Savoy, Italy, 


Red. 


St. Ambroiz, • 


Gard, France, 


White sparkling. 


St. Amour, 


S&one et Loire, do. 


Red. 


St. Andre de Cabaac, 


Gironde, do. 


Claret. 


St. Andre de Boia, 


do. do. 


do. 


St. Areniii, 


fndre, do. 


Tolerable wine. 


St. Basle, 


Manie, do. 


Champagne. 


St. Brifl, 


Gironde, do. 


White. 


St. Cbriatoly, 


do. do. 


Claret. 


St. Colombe, 


Lot et Garonne, do. 


Inferior light wine. 


St. Croix du Mont, 


Gironde, do. 


While. 


St Cyprien, 


Pyr^n^ea Orientales, 
France, 


White sweet. 


St. Cyr aur Loire. 


Indre, France, 


Tolerable wine. 


St. Eniilion, 


Gironde, do. 


Claret. 


St.£8tephe, 


do. do. 


Claret. 



LIST OF WINES. 



298 



VUM. 


CooDtty. 


DMcriptloB. 


St. Edenne, 


Rh6ne, France, 


Good delicate wine. 


St. Foi, 


Gironde, do. 


Claret. 


St. Georgef, 


C6te d*Or, do. 


Burgundy. 


St. Georges d'Orgoes, 


Heraolt, do. 


Go<kI wine. 


St. Genies, 


Gard, do. 


Red. 


St. Germain, 


Gironde, do. 


Claret. 


St. Gervais, 


do. do. 


do. 


St. Gillef, 


(yard, do. 


Red— called " via de rem- 
edy." 


St. Gyorgy. 


Presbarg, Hungary. 


Excellent wine ; aroma 
like Tokay. 


St. Hippolite, 


Gard, France, 


Pleasant light wine. 


St. Jaqaes, 


Yonne, do. 


Burgundy. 


Si. Jean, 


Ardeche, do. 


White mouaseaz. 


St. Jean, 


C6ted'0r, do. 


Burgnndy. 


St. Joseph, 


Ardeche, do. 


Red. 


St. Jalien, 


Gironde, do. 


Claret. 


St. Laarent des 


Gard, do. 


Red. 


Arbres, 






St. Leger, 


Rh6ne, do. 


Good wine. 


St. Loubes, 


Gironde, do. 


Claret. 


St. Lucia, 


Corsica, do. 


Tolerable wine. 


St. Martin, 


Yonne, do. 


Burgundy. 


St. Mexant, 


Gironde, do. 


Claret. 


St. Michael, 


Loire, do. 


White. 


St. Michael sons 


do. do. 


White. 


Condriea, 






St. Pardon, 


Gironde do. 


White. 


St. Patronis, 


Capo d'Istria, Avs- 

tria, 
Ardeche, France, 


Vln de liqueur. 


St. PJrai, 


White monaseax, delicate. 


St. Roroain, 


Gironde, do. 


Claret. 


St. Sauveur, 


Gironde, France, 


Claret. 


St. Selve, 


do. do. 


do. 


St. Serfe Trieste, 


Istria, Austria, 


Red and white, well flavor- 
ed. 
Claret. 


St. Senrin de Ca- 


Gironde, France, 


doorne. 






St. Thierry, 


Mame, do. 


Champagne, 


St. Thomas, 


Cittanova, Austria, 


Good vin de liqueur. 


St. Trelody, 


Gironde, France, 


Claret. 


St. Victor de la Cote, 


Rhone, do. 


Tolerable wine. 


St. Vivien, 


Gironde, do. 


Claret. 


Syracose, 


Sicily, 


Luscious red muscadine. 



2d4 



LIST OF wnnea 



K— 


OooBtiy, 


DMolvaoa. 


Syrmia, 


Sclavonia , Anatria , 


Good full-bodied redwina. 


Szeghi, 


Tokay, Hnngary, 

1 


Tokay wine. 


Tache, 


C6te d'OfiFrance, 


Burgundy. 


Taiilan, 


Gironde, do. 


Claret. 


Taiajr, 


Mame, do. 


Champagne. 


Talenee, 


Gironde, do. 


Claret. 


Tallya, 


Tokay, Hongary, 


Tokay. 


Tangarog, 


Rnasia, 


Inferior wine. 


Taormina, 


Sicily, 


Inferior red. 


Taibea. 


Baasea Pyr^n^ea, 


Red. 




France, 




Tarento, 


Naples, 


Inferior muscadine. 


TarragODai 


Catalonia, Spain, 


Red wine. 


Tavelp 


Gard, France, 


Red. 


Tcanlet, 


Dordogne, do. 


White. 


Termini, 


VaidiMaaara, Sicily, 


Tolerable wine. 


Tenedoa, 


Greece, 


Dry and sweet wines. 


Tcneriffe, 


Canaries, 


White. 


Tent, 


Xeres, Spain, 


Red, rich, sweet, and aro- 
matic. 


Tcmi, 


Near Spoleto, Italy, 


Good wine. 


Terra del Campo, 


Old Castile, Spain, 


Red. 


Terraae, 


Dordoffne, France, 
Pjrr^nles Orientales, 


Red. 


Terrats, 


Ordinary wines. 




France, 




Thaaala, 


iDrome, France, 


Red. 


Theaac, 


Lot et Garonne, 


Black wine. 


• 


France, 




Thurot, 


Yonne, France, 


Burgundy. 


Tinta, 


Madeira, 


Red. 


Tintilla, 


Xeres, Spain, 


See Tent. 


Tinto, 


Madeira, 


White. 


Tint« di Malaga, 


Malaga, Spain, 


Red. 


Tinto di Rota, 


Andalusia, do. 


See Tent 


Tinto Olivencia, 


Estremadura, do. 


One of the best red wines 
of Spain. 


Tiaeey, 


Yonne, France, 


Burgundy. 


Tizzana, 


Tnscany, 


Good wine of the coun- 


Toeplits, 


Croatia, Hungary, 


try. 
White wine of fair quality. 


Tokay, 


Tokay, High do. 


Rich, luscious, andaroma« 
tic. 



LIST OF WINKS. 



295 



Nhm. 


1 

C«BBt>y. 


DMoriptkn. 


Tokay MaaUf, 


Tokay, High Hun- 
gary. 


Secondary Tokay, 


Tolesva, 


do. do. 


do. do. 


Tonnere, 


Yonne, France, 


Burgundy. 


Torenmala, 


do. do. 


Red. 


Torins, 


Slu>ne et Loire, do. 


Burgundy. 


Tonniiia, 


Mount Etna, Sicily, 


Tolerable wine. 


Tone, 


Valentia, Spain, 


Red. 


Tonen-Milor, 


Pyr^n^ea Orientalea, 
France, 


Good wine. 


Toaealona, 


Brescia, Italy, 


Red— conaidered good in 
intermittent fevera. 


Toul, 


Menrthe, France, 


Red and white. 


Toalence, 


Gironde, do. 


White. 


Toaraon, 


Hant Garonne, do. 


Red. 


Trayeraetolo, 


Parma, Italy, 


Ordinary wine. 


Trebio, 


Florence, Italy, 


Malyasia. 


Trewie, 


Gironde, France, 


Claret. 


Trois Puita, 


Rheima, do. 


Champagne. 


Tronchoy, 


Yonne, do. 


White Burgundy. 


Tropfwermnth, 


In Sirmien, 


Wine prepared with spices 
and wormwood. 


Taadany, 


Tokay, Hungary, 


Tokay. 


Tacheremble, 


Carinthia, Austria, 


Reaembling good Italian 
wines. 


Todela, 


NaTarre, Spain, 


White sweet. 


Torkiem, 


Haut Rhin, France, 


White. 


Uberlingen, 


Lake Constance, 
Switerland, 


Good wintf of the conniry. 


Ungatein, 


Rhine, Germany, 


Hock of good quality. 


Unter Kutzendorf, 


Austria, 


Green hue, and drank 




* 


young. 


Vadana, 


Jura, France, 


Good wine. 


Val de Penaa, 


New Castile, Spain, 


Considered one of the finest 
red winea in the world. 


Val di MariQi, 


Tuscany, 


Good country wine. 


Valdrach, 


Treves district, Ger- 


Moselle, noted for diuretic 




many, 


properties. 


Valenaole, 


Basses Alps, France, 


Red. 


Valentona, 


Gironde, do 


do. 


Val-Irdone. 


Plaoentia, Italy, 


Ordinary countrx wine. 



296 



UST OF WINES. 



Nam*. 


Coantry. 


I>M<irlp«kD. 


Val Mar, 


IToDDe, France, 


Borgnndy (the beat of the 
Chablis wines). 


Vallonz, 


do. do. 


Bargandy. 


Valmnre, 


do. do. 


Burgundy white. 


Valt«line, 


Valteline, Aastria, 


Wine remarkable for dura- 
bility. 


Vanzellea, 


Nicvre, France, 


Red. 


Varez, 


Correze, do. 


Good durable wine. 


Vaaciexmes, 


Mame, do. 


Champagne. 


Vault, 


Yonne, do. 


Burgundy. 


Vanmorillon, 


do. do. 


do. 


Vauz, 


Vicnne, do. 


Red. 


Vaux Derir, 


Yonne, do. 


Chablis. 


Venteoil, 


Marne, do. 


Champagne. 


Verdea, 


Arcetri, Italy, 


Green color. 


Verdelaia, 


Gironde, France, 


Claret. 


Verdeae, 


Corsica, do. 


Red and white. 


Verdetto, 


Placentia, Spain, 


Ordinary wine. 


Verdona, 


Canaries, 


White, resembling Ma- 
deira. 


VergisBon, 


SiLone et Loire, 
France, 


White. 


Vermnt, 


Elba, Italy, 


Cordial wine prepared 
with wormwood. 


Vcrivay, 


C6tc d'Or, France, 


Burgundy. 


Veniaccia, 


Orvieto, Italy, 


Sweet. 


VerneQil, 


Epernay, France, 


Champagne. 


V^roilles, 


Cdted'Or, do. 


Burgundy. 


Veterano, 


Sicily, 


Tolerable wine. 


Vertus, 


Marne, France, 


Champagne. 


Verzenay, 


do. do. 


do. 


Vcrzy, 


do. do. 


do. 


VezanneSi 


Yonne, do. 


Burgundy. 


Viaros^, 


Tarn et Garonne, 
France, ' 


Red. 


Vioenza, 


Italy, 


Sweet and piquant. 


Vjdonia, 


Canaries, 


White, resembling Ma- 






deira. 


Vigatto, 


Parma, Italy, 


Ordinary wine. 


Villa-Chiari, 


Borgo Placentia, do. 


Inferior wine. 


Villarinho das Frei- 


Douro, Portugal, 


Red. 


raS) 
Villedieu, 


Tarn et Garonne, 


Red. 




France, 





LitST OF WINKS. 



297 



Num. 




Ville Dommaoge, 
Villena, 

Villenave d'Ornon, 
Villeneove, 

Villera-Alieraud, 

Vinaroz, 

Vinay, 

Vinitza, 

Vin cuit, 

Vin blancs de Garde, 

Vin de Caaas^, 

Vin de Coaperon, 



Vin fou, 

Vinde de Garde, 

Vin de Grenache, 

Vin de Henry IV., 
Vin de la Mar^chale, 
Vin de Paille, 
Vin de Remade, 



Vin Piccolit, 
Vino Cotto, 
Vino Crndo, 
Vinho de Termo, 

Vino Graeco, 
Vino Morto, 

Vinho Passado, 
Vinho Seco, 
Vino Santo, 

Vino Tinto, 
Virac, 
Virlade, 
Viviera, 



Marne, France, 
Valentia, Spain, 
Gironde, France, 
Lot et Garonne, 

France, 
Marne, France, 
Valeniia, Spain, 
Epernay, France, 
Croatia, Auatria, 
France, 
Arloia, do. 
Lot et Garonne, 

France, 
Pyr^n^es Orientalea, 

France, 

Moulina, France, 
Indre, do. 
Vau81u8e, do. 

Loire and Cher, do. 
Marne, do. 
Correze, do. 
Gardj do. 



Freuli, Italy, 

Bologna, do. 
do. do. 

EIetrenia!dura, Portu- 
gal, 

Mt.VesQvias, Naplea. 

Veronese, Iialy, 

Pico, Azores, 
do. do. 
Castiglione and Ve- 
ronese, Italy, 
Alicant, Spain, 
Garde, France, 
Gironde, do. 
Yonne, do. 



DMerJirtton. 



Red. 

Ordinary wine. 
Claret. 
Black wine. 

Champagne. 
Red. 

Champagne. 
Good white wine. 
Boiled wine. 
Sparkling wine. 
Black wine. 

Vin de liquear, to which 

a large proportion of 

brandy is added. 
Very strong wine. 
Sparkling andstill,durable. 
Boiled wine, with the ad-^ 

dition of brandy. 
While. 

Still Sillery Champagne. 
Vin de liqueur. 
Wine that gives strength 

and color to weakquali* 

ties. 
Resembling Tokay. 
Boiled wine. 
Unboiled wine. 
Good light wine. 

Sweet wine. 

Wine deficient in strength 

and spirit. 
Malmsey, not durable. 
Dry, not durable. 
Red and white, sweet 

wines. 
Red, strong, and sweet. 
Red. 

White Burgundy. 
Burgundy. 



298 



LIST OF WINES. 



Kmm. 


CooDby. 


v...^ 


WalponEheimer, 


Abr, Germaoy, 


Good wine. 


Wangen, 


Bavaria, 


Good countiy wine. 


Wangarten, 


Tarben, Germany, 


Second-rate Moselle. 


Weblen, 


TreTea district, do. 


Superior Moselle. 


Weinheim, 


Hockheim, do. 


Hock of good quality. 


Weinitz, 


Carinthia, Austria, 


Resembling good Italian 
wine. • 


Weisakirehen, 


Bannat, Hangary, 


Similar to Burgundy or 
Bordeaux. 


Wereitz, 


do. do. 


do. do. 


Wieacl. 


Lr. Styria, Austria, 


Good country wine. 


WiideiuteiD, 


Erbach, Germaay, 


Interior Rhine wine. 


Whideach, 


Lr. Styria, Austria, 


Tolerable wine. 


Wipach, 


Carinthia, do. 


Resembling good Italian 
wine. 


Wolxheim, 


Baakhin, France, 


White. 


Xerra, 


Xerea, Spain, 


Sherry. 


Zadany, 


County ofZemplin, 
Hungary, 


Tokay wine. 


Zalonge, 


Andalusia, Spain, 


Vino de pais, white. 


Zambor, 


County of Zemplin, 
Hungary, 


Tokay wine. 


ZeiU 


Bavaria, 


Inferior wine. 


Zeiiingen, 


Treves district, Ger- 
many, 


Moeelle of first quality. 


Zips, 


Bannat, Hungary, 


Grood red wine. 


Zomheimer, 


Rhine, Germany, 


Good wine. 


2i8chelhae, 


Buda, Hungary, 


Similar to Burgundy or 


• 




Bordeaux. 


Zymlenak, 


Astracan, Russia, 


Good wine. 



The preceding list comprehends eleven hundred 
and one classified wines, of which five hundred and 
eighty-one, being upwards of one half of the whole, 
are produced in France alone. 



FOREIGN SPIRITS. 



FOREIGN SPIRITS. 



DISTILLATION — BBANDT — RUM — ^HOLLAKD G IK — WHISKK V - - A R 
RACK~ADULT£RATION — USES AND EFFECTS OF ALCOHOLIC 
LIQUOBS. 

Distillation. 

The distillation of spirits was known to the Ara- 
bians about the tenth century, to whom we are in- 
debted for its invention ; and was introduced into Eu- 
rope during the reign of Henry II. of England ; 
it means, in commercial language, the manufacture 
of intoxicating spirits. This art of evoking the 
fiery demon of drunkenness, from his attempered 
state in wine and beer, was unknown to the an- 
cient Greeks and Eomans. It seems to have been 
used by the barbarians of the North of Europe, 
as a solace to their cold and humid clime ; and was 
first made known to the southern nations, in the 
writings of Arnoldtfs de Villa Nova, and his pupil, 
Eaymond LuUy of Majorca, who declares this ad- 
mirable essence of wine to be an emanation of the 
Divinity, an element newly revealed to man, but 
hid from antiquity, because the human race was 
then too young to need this beverage, destined to 



302 FOREIGN SPIBITS. 

revive the energies of modem decrepitudei He 
farther imagined, that the discovery of this aqtsa 
vitcBj as it was called, indicated the approaching 
consummation of aU things— the end of this world. 
However much he erred as to the value of this 
remarkable essence, he truly predicted its vast influ* 
ence upon humanity, since to both civilized and 
savage nations, it has realized greater ills than were 
threatened in the fiibled box of Pandora. 

The flavor and taste peculiar to all spirits is 
derived from the essential oils carried over in distil- 
lation ; and each variety has an aroma characteristic 
of the fermented substance from which it is pro* 
cured; whether it be the grape, cherries, sugar-cane, 
rice, cocoa-nut, corn, or potatoes; and it may 
be distinguished even as procured from different 
growths of the vine. 

The superiority of all spirits made from grapes^ 
consists in its containing less essential oil, and that 
of a more agreeable flavor than corn spirits. 

The color of spirits is no criterion of excellence; 
pure spirits of any kind have no color : that of com- 
merce has always derived it from artificial additions, 
as burnt sugar, or from some other matter contained 
in the timber of the cask. 



Brandy* 

Brandy is obtained by the distillation of wine ; 
the wine-brandy of France is esteemed the best in 
Europe, the most celebrated of which is the Cognac ; 



FOREIGN St>IBITS. 303 

it does not appear to have existed in France till the 
year 1818. When first introduced, Brandy or burnt 
wine {yinum admtum) appears to have been used prin- 
cipally as an antiseptic and restorative medicine; 
and the most extraordinary panegyrics were bestow* 
ed on its virtues. It was described as a sovereign 
remedy in almost all the disorders of the human 
frame; it was commended for its efficacy in comfort^ 
ing the memory, and strengthening the reasoning 
powers; it was extolled, in short, as the elixir of life, 
an infallible preservative of youth and beauty I 
• Doctor Henderson remarks that the experience of 
later times has shown how little this eulogy was 
merited; but in this he is contradicted by Burke, 
who maintains, with equal eloquence and ingenuity, 
that " the alembic" has been a vast blessing. 

The excellence and flavor of Brandy depend 
upon the quality and character of the wine from 
which it is made, and the management during dis- 
tillation ; it contains a considerable quantity of an 
essential oil from the wine, which imparts to it an 
agreeable aroma, not to be met with in any other 
species of spirits. So strongly marked is the spirit 
with the taste of the wine from which it is distilled, 
that persons of experience can always easily tell 
from what wine district it comes, and from what 
species of grape. The Brandy distilled from the 
grape, it is needless to say, after this, is easily 
discriminated from that produced by any other 
substance. 

Wines of all descriptions, but chiefly those that 



804 FOREIGN SPIRITS. 

are strong and harsh (pouss^s), are used in the 
manufactare of Brandy. The superior vintages, and 
those that have most flavor, are said to make the 
•worst Brandy. It is naturally clear and colorless. 
The different shades of color which it has in com- 
merce, arise partly from the casks in which it is 
kept, but chiefly from the burnt sugar and other 
coloring matter added to it. It is said the burnt 
sugar gives mellowness to the flavor, and renders it 
more palatable. 

The French Brandy is principally distilled at 
Cognac, Bordeaux, Eochelle, Orleans, the Isle de 
Rhe, Angouleme, Nantes, and. in Poitou, Touraine, 
and Anjou. That of Cognac, as has been before 
observed, is the best, and in the highest estimation. 

The utility of Brandy is very considerable, but 
from its pleasant taste and exhilarating property, it 
is too often taken to excess. From other ardent 
spirits in ordinary use, it is distinguished for its 
cordial and stomachic properties ; it is therefore often 
resorted to as a powerful tonic; its utility with 
camphor is very great, and in the sinking stages of 
typhus, diarrhoea, spasmodic pains, weakness of the 
animal functions, extreme suffering and exhaustion, 
from excessive exertion and privation of food, the 
cautious and moderate use of this spirit has on many 
occasions proved invaluable. 



FOBEIGIT 8PIBITS. 806 



Bum. 



It was during the sixteenth century this spirit . 
was first introduced into consumption ; according to 
Oviedo Yaldas the cultivation of sugar-canes was 
commenced in Hispaniola or St. Domingo, by the 
Spaniards in 1520. 

The word Bum appears to have been formerly 
used in England to convey the idea of any thing 
fine, rich, good, or excellent, and as spirits extracted 
from molasses were at that period very highly es- 
teemed, it was called Bum to denote its excellence 
or superior quality; the term also may have origi- 
nated from the last syllable of the Latin word 
saccharum (sugar), and it is somewhat singular that 
this spirit has been always known among the native 
Americans by the name of Bum. 

It is obtained, by means of fermentation and dis- 
tillation, from ipolasses, the refuse of the .cane juice, 
and portions of the cane aflier the sugar has been 
exhausted — ^the flavor and taste peculiar to it are 
derived from the essential oil carried over in distil- 
lation. When the distillation has been carelessly 
performed, the spirit contains so large a quantity of 
the grosser and less volatile parts of the oil, as to be 
unfit for use till it has attained a great age; when 
it is well rectified it mellows much sooner. St 
Croix Bum, if originally good, becomes a ^ry 
superior spirit by age and proper keeping; it is 
perfectly pale and limpid, Jamaica rum is of a 
20 



806 FOBEIGK 8PIBITS. 

brownish transparent color, smooth oily taste, strong 
body and consistence, and when good and well kept 
is reckoned the best. 

The general effects and nses of Bum are similar 
to those of Brandy ; but Bum is considered more 
heating, sodorific, less astringent, and more disposed 
to cause perspiration, than the other kinds of ardent 
spirits, to which it has been popularly thought pre- 
ferable in slight colds, long-standing coughs, and 
rheumatism. 



Holland Qin^ or Oeneva. 

Geneva is a corruption of genievre, the French 
term for the Juniper berry; it is also supposed that 
it owes its name to the Juniper wine invented or 
brought to perfection by Count de Morret, son of 
Henry IV. of France, to the use of which he 
attributed his good health and long life. This wine 
was considered so wholesome, and made with so 
little expense, that it was called the " wine of the 
poor." 

Holland Gin is obtained by distillation fix)m 
wheat or rye flavored with Juniper berries, which 
are said to render it diuretic. It becomes milder, 
and acquires, as it gets old, an oily flavor disliked by 
the Hollanders, for which reason nearly the whole 
of the Schiedam is exported. 

There are upwards of three hundred distilleries 
in the village of Schiedam, where the Geneva is 



FOBKiGN sPiBrra. 807 

mann&ctured, upwards of one hundred in other 
parts of Holland, and about fifty in Belgium. 
The entire annual produce of the distilleries in Hol- 
land is estimated at thirty millions of gallons, of 
which about two-thirds are exported. 

Gin is diuretic in its effects, but not so strong 
and heating as Brandy or Bum. 



The Latin term, aqua vitce, the Irish, vsquebaugh^ 
and the modem, whiskey^ are synonymous ; the latter 
name is given to the spirituous liquors manufactured 
by the distillers of Ireland and Scotland ; it corre- 
sponds to the Eau de Vie of the French, and the 
Branntwein of the G-ermans. It is distilled from 
new grain and pure malt, and agrees in most of its 
properties with Holland Geneva, from which it 
differs in its peculiar smoky flavor and odor : these 
it acquires from the malt which is dried by turf 
fires. But the smell of burned turf, called peat reek 
in Scotland, which was originally prized as a crite- 
rion of whiskey made from pure malt, moderately 
fermented and distilled with peculiar care, has of 
late years lost its value, since the artifice of impreg- 
nating bad raw grain whiskey with peat smoke has 
been extensively practised. 

The peculiar flavor of whiskey is owing to a 
volatile oil which exists in the corn or malt from 
which the spirits have been made; that obtained 



808 FOREIGN SPIBIT3. 

from pure malt is the best, and free from tlie rank 
odor, or haut-goiit, existing in the inferior qualities 
distilled from raw corn. 

Whiskey is considered diuretic, narcotic, and 
less heating than any other spirits. 

Arro/ck, 

Arrack is produced from the areca nut, or the 
arrack tree; the word is o^ Indian origin, and the 
term is applied in most parts of India and the Indian 
islands to designate any sort of spirituous liquor. 

Arrack is distinguished from other ardent spirits 
by its stimulating and narcotic properties ; its flavor 
is peculiar, and it differs considerably in consequence 
of the various articles of which it is prepared, and 
the unequal care taken in its manufacture. 

Batavia or Java arrack is considered the best; 
it is obtained by distillation from rice and molasses, 
with only a small mixture of cocoa-nut toddy. 

Columbo or Ceylon arrack is invariably made 
from the vegetable juice toddy, which flows by in- 
cision from the cocoa-nut tree; after the juice is 
fermented it is distilled and rectified ; some are of 
opinion that it is equal to the Batavia. 

When well prepared, arrack is white and trans- 
parent; sometimes, however, it is slightly straw- 
colored. Pine-apples steeped in it impart a most 
exquiste flavor to the spirit ; and by age it becomes 
a delicious liqueur, which is unrivalled in the world 
for making nectarial punch. 



FOREIGK SPIBITS. 809 



Adtdteration. 



The observations already made on the adultera- 
tion of wines, would appear to render it needless to 
write any thing further on* he same subject in re- 
ference to foreign spirits; but it may be necessary 
for the reader to know that the adulteration of the 
latter, opens a much wider field for fraud than tBe 
former, presents a greater temptation to the trader, 
is attended with much less liability of detection, and 
is practised upon a more extensive scale. Owing to 
the high rate of duties, the adulterations are usually 
effected in the countries of importation; difficulty of 
discovery (except by first-rate judges), and the large 
promts realized, are the causes assigned for its pre- 
valence. 

Uses and Effects of Spirits. 

BY PROFESSOR BRINDB. 

Medicinally considered, ardent spirits are valuable 
but often mischievous stimulants ; they are always 
employed more or less diluted, as in the form of proof 
spirit, brandy, rum, and similar spirituous Uquors. 
They are used externally as a stimulant, and occa- 
sionally as a refrigerant, in consequence of the cold 
which is produced by their evaporation. 

As remedial agents, spirituous liquors quicken and 
fill the pulse, elevate the sensible and thermometri- 
cal heat, of the body, and stimulate the brain and 



810 FOBEIGK SPIBIT&. 

nervous system^ When taken in excess they ine- 
briate and poison ; produce determination of blood 
to the head, wandering of the mind, great general 
excitement, succeeded by drowsiness and more or 
less insensibility; afterwards headache, dyspepsia, 
and sickness, and in many cases insanity; some- 
times fetal apoplexy, or coma, will supervene, or 
death ensue from some more accidental cause, such 
ai a fell or suffocation during vomiting. There are 
also cases on record in which large quantities of 
spirituous liquors have been taken at one draught 
and undiluted, as for a wager, or some similar folly ; 
in such cases profound coma soon comes on, with 
stertorous breathing, and death often ensues almost 
immediately or in a few hours. 

Among the lower orders, the great temptaticJn to 
drink is temporary excitement ; the higher and edu- 
cated classes of society too often find an oblivious 
antidote in the same dangerous delusion ; the result 
is as surely fatal in the one case as the other ; and as 
the habit, when once established, can scarcely admit 
of palliation or remedy, it becomes the duty of the 
moral and medical philosopher to turn all his powers 
of advice and persuasion towards prevention, and to 
paint in strong colors the utter hopelessness of a cure. 

In answer to these trite remarks, there are some 
who, admitting the evils of habitual drunkenness, ad- 
vocate diurnal excess, in telling of statesmen, philoso- 
phers, and poets, who, in the enjoyment of health of 
mind and body, have attained to a respectable old 
age, and yet have been what are called " two bottle 



FOBEiGK SFntrrs. 811 

men:" but such cases are rare exceptions to the 
rule, and, when carefully inquired into, are almost all 
fallacies. It is true that some herculean constitu- 
tions will resist all ordinary causes of wear and tear; 
but in general, persons in advanced life who indulge, 
with apparent impunity, in such excess, have passed 
through its earlier periods abstemiously and actively, 
and have only gradually habituated themselves to a 
more luxurious diet, as the advances of age have crept 
upon them in the enjoyment of worldly prosperity 
and mental quiet ; habits of inebriety are, in &ct, 
rarely acquired late in life, and never, by persons who 
are fit for any thing else. Old debauchees, when other 
sources* of bodily gratification fidl, will occasionally 
take to the bottie, and so demolish a constitution 
which had resisted the other inroads of disease. In 
these days it is fortunately almost unnecessary to 
caution the young among the educated classes of 
society, against the fatal consequences of inebriety; 
the drunkenness and profaneness of the olden time 
are now happily out of fashion, and though other 
and equally mischievous vices may possibly prevail, 
they are not such as find a place under the subject 
now before us. 



/ 



LiaUEURS. 



t ^ T ^ 



. LIQUEURS. 



INTRODUCTION AND INVENTION — ^ABSTNTHS — ALKERMES — ^ANI- 
SETTE — CURACOA — ^EntaCHENWASSER — ^MARASCHINO DE ZARA 
— NOYEAU — ^RATAFIA. 

The introduction of Liqueurs into France, according 
to Beekman, took place in the year 1538, on the 
occasion of the marriage of Henry 11. when Duke 
of Orleans, with Catharine de .Medicis. The mode 
of making them was derived from the Italians, 
to whom the invention is attributed; they were 
termed by them liquori] and vended through for- 
eign countries under that appellation. Their pala- 
table qualities insured them a ready admission to 
the tables of the affluent, while their apparent mild 
and medicinal properties afforded a temptation to 
the invalid and delicate, whose constitutional debil- 
ity required a succession of artificial stimulants. 
Louis XIY. became so addicted to them in his old 
age, that he could scarcely endure existence without 
them. 

Liqueurs have different titles according to their 
mode of fabrication; they are made of spirits of 



316 LIQUEUBS. 

vaiious kinds, sweetened, and otherwise flavored, 
and are imported from different wine countries. 



Ahsynthe 

Is a spirituous liquor that takes its title from the 
herb called Absinthum. It is considered anti-spas- 
modic and some extol it as a vermifdge ; but it merits 
little attention in either of these characters. 



Alkermes 

Is made at the Convent of Santa Maria Novella, 
Florence. It is an exquisite liquor, possessing a 
delicious flavor and fragrance, and being mild, in- 
noxious and stomachic, it yields to none in pre- 
eminence. The really genuine can only be obtained 
from one house. 

Anisette 

Is extracted from the seed of the Anisum ; it is 
a liqueur in much esteem abroad, though to most 
persons its flavor is not agreeable ; it is a good car- 
minative and anti-flatulent 



Ouragoa 

Is made by digesting bitter orange peel (or 
orange berries) cloves and-cinnjimon, in old brandy, 



LIQUEUBS. 817 

to wUcli sugar dissolved in water is subsequentlj 
added. 

Kirschetiwasser, 

Earschwasser or Kirsclienwasser (literally cherry- 
water), is an alcoholic liquor obtained by fermenting 
and distilling bruised cherries called Jdrschen, in 
Gei^nan. The cherry usually employed in Switzer- 
land and Germany, is a kind of morello, which on 
maturation becomes black, and has a kernel very 
large in proportion to its pulp. When ripe (the 
fruit being made to fall by switching the trees), it is 
gathered by children, thrown promiscuously, unripe, 
ripe, and rotten, into tubs, and crushed either by 
hand or a wooden beater. The mashed materials 
are set to ferment, and whenever this process is com- 
plete, the whole is transferred to an old still covered * 
with verdigris, and the spirit is run off in the rudest 
manner possible, by placing the pot over the com- 
mon fireplace. 

The fermented mash is usually mouldy before 
it is put into the alembic, the capital of which is 
luted on with a mixture of mud and dung. The 
liquor has accordingly for the most part a rank 
smell, and its use dangerous to health, not only 
*&om its own crude, essential state, but from the prus- 
sic acid, derived from the distillation of the cherry 
stones. 

There is a superior kind of Kirschenwasser 
made in the Black Forest, prepared with fewer ker- 



818 LIQUEUBS. 

nels, from choice firmt, properly pressed, fermented 
and distilled. 



_ m 

Maraschino de Zara 

Is made in Dalmatia, from a peculiar variety of 
cherry called Marasquin. 

Noyeau 

Owes its constituent properties to spirit^ syrup, 
and the flavoring principles of vegetables, derived 
from bitter almonds, peach, or apricot kernels. 

Batafia 

Is the generic name in France of liqueurs com- 
pounded with alcohol, sugar, and the odoriferous 
and flavoring principles of vegetables. This term is 

derived from the verb ratifier, to confirm, it being 
used at the settlement of an agreement or bargain. 
Bruised cherries, with their stones, are infused in 
spirits of wine, to make the Katafia of Grenoble de 
Teyss6re. The liquor being boiled and filtered, 
is flavored, whfen cold, with spirits of noyeau, made 
by distilling water off the bruised bitter kernels of* 
apricots and mixing it with alcohol. 



LIQUEUBS. 319 

The varieties of Liqueurs are numerous ; it is 
customary to take them after coffee, but the constant 
use, even of the best qualities, produces most dele- 
terious effects on the constitution, thej should there- 
fore be drunk but seldom, and in very small por- 
tions; apart from the alcohol, which they more or 
less contiun, the flavoring and coloring matter is 
often pernicious. 



LIST OF ALL THE KNOWN ALCOHOLIC UQUORS, 



AND THE COimTBIES IK WHICH FBODUOED. 



Vamt. 



Alien, 
Aipy, 

Ale, 

Arakl, 
Arrakl, 

Ats, 



Awamnri, 
Brandy, 

Bo. 

Do. 
Do. 

Do. 




DaMtlptioB. 



21 



Yarions countries. 

Egypt, 
HiU Tartars, 

Otahelte,' 
Japanese Islands, 
France, 

Spain, 

Portugal, 

Sweden, 

Russia, 



Cow's milk made into a 
drink like koumiss. 

Prepared from the aipi- 
' makakara, a species of 
manioc. 

Fermented fVom malt and 
hops. 

Distilled teom dates. 

Prepared from sloes and 
numerous wild berries. 

A root which is 'bruised, 
or baked before infti- 
sion: the liquor very 
intoxicating. 

Made from com, and dif- 
ferent fruits fermented. 



Grapes, potatoes, com, 
cider, perrr, plums, 
cherries, and residue of 
the brew-houses. 

Generally from the grape , 
and of tolerable quali- 
ty. 

Grapes, damaged flgs, 

and raisins. 
Com, and the black ant ; 

a powerAil spirit. 
Com. 



822 



iLLCOHOLIC LIQVOBS. 



»«. 


00011^7. 


DMciiptkk 


Brandy, 


Persia, 


Shiraz grape ; and of 
good quality. 




« 


Da 


England, 


A pure spirit distilled 
fttnn com, reduced, 
rectified, flavored, and 






Badek, 


Java, 


otherwise drueged. 
Rice boiled, and stewed 
with nud or onions, 
bku^ pepper, and cap- 
sicum, made into cakes 
and sold as a ferment. 


Beer, 


Variona countries, 


Fermented from malt 
and hops. 


Birch-wine, 


Norway, 


Made of the juice of the 
birch tree, boiled, and 


■ 




fermented. 


Booza, 


Nubia, 


Beer prepared from bar- 
ley, previously roasted. 


Boza, 


Constantinople, 
Cape Good Hope, 


do. do. 


Brandeivyn. 


A badn>randy, distilled 






from the husks and 






stalks of the grapes, 






and wine lees. 


Brom, 


Java, 


Same as B&dek, but dif- 
ferently prepared. 


Brum, 


Sumatra, 


do. superior. 


Braga,- 


Russia, 


From oatmeal, and hops ; 
a white liquor. 


Biua, 


Tartaiy, 


A beer brewed from 
ground millet. 


CaUn, 


Camatic Kindn,Te- 
ling and Zamol, 


Wine of the wUd date. 


Canni, 
Cha, 


Egypt, 

China,* 


A species of beer. 
Palm wine. 


Chica, 


Mexico, 


Beer made from maize, 
by the Indians. 


Geneva, 


Holland, 


From com, flavored with 
juniper in rectification. 


Gin, 


England, 


A pure spirit, distilled 
fr^m com, reduced, 
rectified, and flavored 
with jumper berries; 
is frequently adulter- 
ated with turpentine. 



AUOOEOUO LIQVOB& 



828 



Ni 



GoldwaBseri 



Giape, 



Ghudlo, 



Kaya, 



Eayiftraku. 

Ki-ii, Tan-po, 6i- 
cnew, 

KiaBlyBohtxhy. 

Eokenuur, 

Eooi, 

KoumisB, 

^amb wine, 

Lan, 
LotOB wine, 




Dantsic, 



Brazil, 



Congo^ 



Friendly Ides, 



Brazil, 

Java, 

Russia, 
Persia, 
Brazil, 
Tartary, 

China, 



Siam and the Bir- 

mans, 
TripoU, 



DiMiiptka. 



DistfUed from com and 
other substances ; 
sometimes called ea% 
de vie de Dantzic\ 
named from having 
gold leaf floating in it. 

Black sugar, water, and 
the leaves of the akaja 
tree, to make it intoxi- 
cating. 

Prepar^ fit>m Indian 
wneat. 



A species of pepper plant 
chewed by the women, 
and their saliva collect- 
ed and diluted with 
water. 

Prepared from the aipi- 
xnakakara, not ferment- 
ed. 

Three different demes of 
streneth of distilfedrice, 
or of arrack. 

Rye meal, and water, fer- 
mented. 

Poppy seeds in decoction, 
drank hot. 

Prepared from the alajde 
apple. 

Mares' milk fermented. 



Lamb's flesh,ma8hed with 
milk, or with rice, and 
fermented. 

Generally prepared frx>m 
rice. 

Made from the RhamfMU 
Lotus, or tree of the 
food of the ancient Lo- 
tophagi. 



824 



ALOOHOUG LIQU0B8. 




Mudrin, 



Mahayali, 
Mahirah Airack, 

Maraschino, 
Mead, 

Mead, 

MOAffo, 

Muchnmor, 

Mum, 



Maaato, 

Palm wine, 

Pani2, 

Peach Brandy, 

Pitto, 

Phanr, 

Piworree orOuycon, 



China, 

Morocco, 
India, 

Zan, 
Rnaaia, 

Ethiopia, 

Congo, 

Kamtechatka, 

Bmnawick, 



Mexico, 

Nubia, 

Corea, 

United States, 
Dahomey, 
Nepaul, 
Guyana, 



A superior rice wine. 
The lees distilled, yield 
a brandy, Hurihckoo^ 
or satnr-su,. 

Distilled from figs. 

Made of Madhuca flowen 
{PassiaL huiryacea). 

Distilled from the cherry. 

Honey, beer lees, and ka- 
latch, fermented. 

Honey, barley, and a root 
called taddo. 

Prepared from the palm 
tree. 

Made from a red mush- 
room of the country. 

Fermented wheaten malt, 
and oatmeal, with fir 
rind, lops of fir, and 
beech, and a variety of 
herbs. 

A drink from the roots of 
the manioc or yucca. 



Prepared as in Other 
places, from the tree 
of that name. 

From a grain, supposed 
to be a coarse kind of 
rice. 

A strong spirit, from 
peaches. 

Prepared from the grain 
on the coast. 

Distilled from wheat or 
rice. 

Prepared from the cassa- 
va ; resembling beer. 
Cakes of cassava made 
about three-fourths of 
an inch thick, are baked 
until they are brown 
throughout. Women 
then moisten their 
mouths with a little 



ALOOHOLIG LIQUOBS. 



325 




Pombie, 

Porter and Stont, 

Pulque, 



QtUkBS, 



Rakft, 

Rakia, 
Ro6oliOy 
Rom, 
Rum, 



Sindag, 



15 



The Caffires, 
Various countrieB, 
Mexico, 



Russia, 



Eamschatka, 

Dalmatia, 
Dantzic, 
West Indies, 
India, 



Camatic Hindu, 



DMeripttoB. 



water, and chew this 
bread, until it is per- 
fectly saturated with 
saliva. They then strain 
it in their mouths, and 
spit out the saliva into 
a vessel. When a suf^ 
ficient quantity of this 
extract is made, they 
add water to the extent 
of 200 gallons or more, 
leave it to ferment un- 
til sour, and then drink 
it. 

Fermented fh>m millet, 
or guinea com. 

Fennented from malt and 
hops. 

The juipe of the agave, 
fermented ; a strong 
spirit is also made from 
it, called Aguardiente 
de Maguey. 



Barley-malt) lye-malt, 
oatmeal, fermented, 
and made acidulous. 



Distilled from a sweet 
grass, called Slatkaia- 
trava, with certain ber- 
ries to flavor. 

Grape, murk, and aro- 
matic herbs, distilled. 

Brandy, sugar, cinnamon, 
and cloves, distilled. 

From molasses and sugar- 
cane. 

From jagory, a kind of 
molasses from the su- 
gar-cane. 

^ine of the wild date. 



826 



AUOOBOUO IJQUOB& 



x«-. 


\^^^^BB7a 


DMcriptiaa. 


Sacki, 


Japan, 


A beer from fermented 


Stigwin, 


Celebes, 


noe. 
A sdtmg species of palm 
wine. 


Schftra, 


The Calmiicks, 


A beer resembling Bragn, 
but different in color. 


Sherbet, 


Turkey, 


Sugar, lemon joice, apri- 
cots, or plums, and fla- 
vored with some sweet 
flower. 


Sihee, 


Nepaol, 


Prepared from the grapes 
in two modes. 


Sihee, 




A drink from sheep's 
milk fermented. 


Snaps, 


Denmark, 


A brandy distilled fttnn 
lye, and barley. 


Sonry or Tanry, 


Nicobar Islands, 


Fermented palm juice. 


TU'SirBtUif 


China, 


A beer ttom barley or 
wheat. 


Tafla, 


West Indies, 


A poor kind of rum. 
Pum wine, when distilled 


Tari, 


India, 






affords arrack; hence 






the English word tod- 






dy. 


Taaia, 


Nicobar Islands, 


Fermented palm Juice. 


Toddy, 


Ceylon, 


Distilled from the cocoa 


• 




tree. 


Troflter, 


Germany, 


Distilled from murk, fer- 
mented with ground 
rye, or barley! 


Taba, 


Manilla Isles, 


From a species of palm. 



Usuph or Usaph, 



Vintro de Batatas, 



Whiskey, 



Barbary, 



Brazil, 



Great Britain and 
•ther countries. 



Raisins and water pre- 
pared. 



Prepared ft^m the bata- 
ta root 



Distilled from com and 
malt; a pure spirit. 



AliOOHOLIO LIQUOBS. 



827 



Ni 




Y-wer'a, 



Zythmn, 



Sandwich IslancU, 



Syria, 



A spirit fVom the tea 
root; like whiskey but 
less strong. 



Beer fermented from the 
grain of the conntiy. 



re 



* * 





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